


The Adventures of Fox the Tooka

by Snapp



Series: Adventures of Fox the Tooka [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, CC-1010 | Fox Needs A Hug, Canon Divergence??, Clonecest, Conflict, Coruscant Guard, Crack and Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Feuds, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fox the Tooka be doing the lords work, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'll update tags as I go, Politics Are Also In Here Somewhere, Sibling Bonding, Thank You All So Much, This Isn't An Update...Something Different, We'll go with that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:47:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25440376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapp/pseuds/Snapp
Summary: Just a drabble I posted on my tumblr I'm thinking about making a series of. If you do see it there, there's a tad less.The version on my tumblr is platonic Thorn and Fox, so if you don't ship there's that version.Once again, I am sorry.
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & Thorn, CC-1010 | Fox/Thorn, Fox & Fox the Tooka, Past CC-1010 | Fox/ CC-3636 | Wolffe, Thorn & Fox the Tooka
Series: Adventures of Fox the Tooka [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895851
Comments: 114
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

Thorn whimpered, curling in on himself. His face scrunched as the acrid smell of trash and smog hit him full force without his bucket filter to protect him. He looked up, slowly turning on his back. 

_Shit_

He immediately sat up, groaning in pain and regret, but staggered up, grabbing a rail. He blinked, feeling pain in his ribs and wrist. Limping, Thorn moved outside, and bit his lip. His armor was heavily scratched, paint ruined. His left vambrace was missing. There was blood on it as well, whether it was his or someone else’s Thorn didn’t know. _He wondered if this was how Fox felt when he woke up._ Granted, Fox typically woke up halfway across the galaxy and very-much injured or when he was on Coruscant, he was typically in the worst parts and he looked like a corpse ninety-percent of the time. Thorn thanked Fett that he was only in Mid-Coruscant, not that his situation was any-less dangerous. 

He fumbled around his armor, to see if he had any weapons, silently rejoicing as he felt his grappling hook, a knife and his comm. He clicked the call button, wincing at the static but felt relieved as it died,

“Tho-Thorn,” He heard a nervous voice in the comm. 

“This is Thorn,”

“Oh thank Fett,” pure relief. _Fox._ “Where are you? Are you hurt? Is anyone else there?”

“Fox- Fox. I’m fine, I’m okay,” Thorn soothed, “I need a ride from Mid-Coruscant.”

“Oh- okay. Is you’re tracker on,”

“Don’t you have me lowjacked?” There was some movement in the background as Fox was panicking and Thorn felt his heart flip as he could practically see Fox's twisted expression, no doubt tired eyes, hunched shoulders, and tense back. He vaguely remembered that Fox had been on the receiving end of a concussion in raid a few night ago.

“Yes- yes I do. I’ll be there in an...about thirty minutes,” 

“Okay,”

“And Thorn, be safe,”

“Aren’t I always?” Thorn tried to lighten Fox's mood.

“Don’t be coy, stay where you are,” 

“Sir yes sir.” Thorn saluted unnecessarily, slumping down to sit on the side of the railing. 

The comm shut off and Thorn sighed, bringing his hand over his sweaty hair. He cringed as blackened tar and gods know what else dripped from the back of hand. _I swear if I have to re-dye this._

A loud sound came from Thorn’s left and he flinched. Scrabbling back, praying that whoever was there wasn’t the cause of the blood staining his armor. 

Another bang and Thorn held out his knife. ‘ _Bo_ _y if you are bringing a blade to a blaster fight you might as well prepare to march on. Get out or get dead.'_ Fett’s words rang through his ears. Thorn spat back at his inner Prime

_Well then di’kut, what about when you can’t run huh, check and mate._

Thorn smirked at his late victory. He could feel the ghost of Prime slapping him upside the head and glaring at him with disappointment. He could recall with clarity these moments, typically followed with Jango slamming them into a training mat and causing Thorn potential back pains _If I love long enough to get those. Do clones even get back pain?_

A large shadow flickered at the wall, clearly not humanoid. The shadow silently moved towards him, becoming smaller and smaller. Suddenly, a tiny creature peaked its head out.

_No way_

A small Tooka made eye contact with Thorn, and tensed mimicking Thorn’s own posture. 

Thorn slowly lowered his blade, releasing the tension coiled in his muscles. He put his hands next to his hips, “it’s okay little guy, I’m not going to hurt you,”

The Tooka hissed, backing up further. Thorn responded in turn, backing away and holding his hand up. Slowly, very slowly, the Tooka crawled towards him. As it padded into the light, Thorn saw a rust-colored pelt. Dappled with pale cream and dark-gray spots, fluffy tail twitching. 

“Heh, you look like a fox,” the Tooka nosed one of his hands, leaning into his touch as he pet the animal, “certainly act like Fox.”

The Tooka moved into his lap, purring as Thorn scratched its arching back.

“Hmm, how about we name you, Fox?” Thorn grinned as the Tooka rumbled his approval at the name. Nuzzling into his stomach, “I’m keeping you and not even the other Fox will stop me.” 

“You sure about that?” A gruff voice asked, and Thorn looked up to see Fox in all his glory, looking like shit as usual.

“Yes, he’ll be replacing you as our new Commander Fox,” Thorn declared, Fox the Tooka purred in agreement, Fox the Clone rolled his eyes and moved down to crouch next to him.

The Tooka moved to the side as Fox pulled him into a tight hug. Thorn responded as best he could, whimpering as Fox squeezed his ribs too hard.

“This is very illegal,” Fox grumbled, helping Thorn up as he let Fox II climb on his shoulder. Sighing as the Tooka climbed on his head, nosing his helmet. 

“I thought you were _Utterly_ _Fearless_?” Thorn challenged, laughing as Fox removed his helmet so the Tooka could come to rest on the top of his head, paws mussing Fox's helmet hair and tail curling around Fox's face and scrunched nose. 

“I wouldn’t continue talking if you want to keep the Tooka,” Fox growled, his dangerous image shattered when he sneezed, lightly jostling his charge. Fox II's tail smacked him in the face as if saying: _Father has **moved** me, he has done the high treason, an attempt of murder. Pack the rucksack, and I will return to my cold bed, for it is warmer than the heart you posses, **moving** me like a common bucket. _Okay, maybe Thorn was thinking too hardly on that.

“You mean the Tooka that you're currently taking orders from?” Thorn ribbed, raising his hands in mock surrender as Fox glared at him, Fox II doing an pale imitation of a glare above Fox's head. Thorn called for his training and resisted laughter.

Both walked to Fox's transport in silence, leaning on each other. Thorn squeezed Fox’s hand when the sat down, Fox squeezed back harder, assuring himself that Thorn was in fact, sitting next to him and not lost somewhere where Fox couldn't get to him. Fox II, seemingly already knowing what to do with the two of them, slid off Fox's face and into Thorn's lap. Thorn's lips pressed into the Fox's, and Thorn snorted into Fox's mouth. Both were petting the Tooka as they separated and leaned into a Keldabe Kiss.

“I suppose we'll keep him,” Fox signed, scratching the Tooka’s ears as it purred, "you both need a bath though."

Thorn groaned, relief at the thought of showering and silently grieving at the thought of bathing a Tooka. 

* * *

“Oh shit,”

“You _karking_ think.” Thorn looked down at the Chancellor’s body. The old man’s nose flushed and lips swollen. His robes a pristine as his office, save a few hairs. Thorn briefly wondered if he should get a lint roller.

They turned to each other, and then at the Tooka, sitting beside the Chancellor. Seemingly as disgusted with the bastard as they were. 

“I suppose this is the part where we turn around and walk away?” Thorn asked, considering the window. _We're going to kriffing die and Thire and Stone are going to deal with those bastard Senators on their own and gods, they're going to decommission Fox because of him-_

“Yes,” Fox answered, breaking Thorn from his panicked thoughts, putting a hand on his shoulder. Thorn moved into the hand, appreciating the rare contact that Fox initiated, and not the other way around, "how do you feel about a defacto mission to Tatooine that we were assigned on yesterday?"

And with that, they turned and hurried out, the Tooka following them. Both silently agreeing they were never here, Fox calling in a favor from a few shadier contacts to scrub the footage, change the records, and a ship to Tatooine. 

_How were they supposed to know the Chancellor had a Tooka allergy?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys have returned to Coruscant after their cover-up mission. With that comes opportunities, reveals, panic, and we learn about the Guard's squeaky reputation is completely bull, they're just better at hiding their chaos as they adopt MORE tookas.

_And with that, they turned and hurried out, the Tooka following them. Both silently agreeing they were never here, Fox calling in a favor from a few shadier contacts to scrub the footage, change the records, and a ship to Tatooine._

_How were they supposed to know the Chancellor had a Tooka allergy?_

* * *

“S'plan Cyar’ika?” Thorn yawned, curling into Fox as they lay next to each other on the transport.

“Lie effectively,” 

“Brilliant, why didn’t I think of that?” 

“Cause you’re stupid compared to my supieior intellect,” Fox snorted as Thorn jabbed his ribs, “Hey!” 

Fox the Tooka made an annoyed sound, tail wrapped around his small body. Thorn and Fox looked at the little tooka with twin smiles, Fox adjusting his arm around Fox.

Fox looked at Thorn, his worry starting to build. He prayed that that they’re story worked, that they wouldn’t be met at blaster-point as soon as they landed. He felt Thorn tighten his grip on Fox and Fox buried his face into his neck, shivering. 

“At least Fox II is comfortable,” 

“You think we could replace Palpatine with him?” The tooka looked like he licked a lemon at the prospective thought of Sheev.

“Unfortunately, no,” 

“Do you think you’ll end up replacing him?” Fox felt a slow horror crawl up his spine, panic building and he pressed his face deeper into Thorn’s scruff. He closed his eyes to try to combat the tears. Fox _didn’t want to do it anymore, he just wanted to sleep, to relax, to just be. No more stupid rivalries over misconceptions, no more dirty looks from the vode he basically raised, the vode he knew of, or vode he’s never met. No more silence, underhanded jabs, or hurtful attacks that made his heart plummet because oh gods what did I do wrong, why am I alone, why did they leave me behind? He wanted it to be over, just wanted-_

“Fox...Fox!” Thorn’s voice was muffled, was _it always that quiet_? Fox felt hands on his cheeks and something heavy and warm moved off his back and into his lap as he was pushed up. 

Fox couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and couldn’t move. He felt like he was trapped on Hoth, slowly freezing from the inside out and the walls were closing but there was the warm weight in his lap pressed on his chest, the weight on his forehead and the back of his neck and around his waist. 

“I-I can’t,” Fox started, gasping. Thorn relaxed his hold on Fox’s neck,

“Hey, hey... Fox you gotta breathe with me.” Thorn led Fox with his own loud breathing, Fox felt himself coming back. 

“I-”

Thorn shushed him and Fox pulled out from the crook of his neck and gave him a dirty look and Thorn laughed quietly, “I shouldn’t have-,”

“It’s fine, I don’t know what came over me,” Fox mumbled, Fox II made a sad noise, nuzzling Fox’s neck, plush fur rubbing Fox’s nose and he licked Fox’s nose “thank you.”

“Fox, we don’t have to go back,” Thorn whispered, pressing kisses to Fox’s temple and flushed cheeks.

“Yes we do, Thire and Stone, we can’t leave them,”

“What would those morons do without us,” 

“Burn Coruscant to the ground,”

“And most likely some of the others will either come to Coruscant and the guard,”

“Oh gods could you imagine Wolffe with Senators?” 

“‘No senator, I have no clue why your apartment has been vandalized with the Pack logo, perhaps you should ask Marshal Commander Cody’,”

“And then Cody would push Wolffe on a building,” 

“Good, it’s what the bastard deserves.” Fox smirked.

The shuttle shook and Fox II went airborne for a second. Thorn and Fox smiled at the grumbling tooka. Fox scratched Fox’s ears.

“I’m starting to think you like him more than I do,” Thorn laughed. 

“Of course, and he realizes it,”

“Betrayal!” Thorn shouted, pressing a kiss to Fox the Clone’s lips and then a small kiss to the fuzzy ears of Tooka Fox.

The shuttle came to a stop on Coruscant, the group tensed. Fox and Thorn shared a Keldabe Kiss. They pulled on their buckets, giving the tooka a scratch on the head. Fox picked up the tooka and placed him on the back of his armor. 

Fox loaded his DC-17 and Thorn pressed his hand on Fox’s’ squeezing it.

“Hold up,” Thorn said, whispering his plan.

The shuttle opened and the bright lights of the Coruscant sun reflecting off buildings. 

“Commander!” Fox saw Thorn tense before Stone and Thire slammed into him. Pulling him into a hug, the group pressed their heads together. Fox the Tooka made his distress at his lack of attention.

“Who’s this?” Stone asked, petting the now blissed tooka.

“There was an incident on Tatooine…” Thorn started, petting the red tooka.

“Oh gods,”

“Fox, meet Stone and Thire,”

The little tooka meowed, nipping at Stone’s ankles, “there is no way,”

“This is Fox,”

“Oh gods,” Thire repeated.

“The poor bastard, we’re keeping him like this right?” Stone asked, Thire was just mumbling to himself.

“Fuck off!” Fox shouted, sliding down the shuttle ramp, Thire and Stone looked at the tooka and the Fox.

“Wha-” Thorn and Fox smirked and bumped shoulders with the others. 

“This is Fox,”

“But he’s Fox?”

“Yeah, and he’s Fox,”

Stone groaned, “go back to Tatooine you fuckers.”

They all laughed, Thire picked up Fox II and they all headed towards the Senate building.

“I’m surprised Coruscant isn’t burning,” Fox sniped.

“Ha. ha, even when you’re on a secret mission to the Outer Rim somehow you’re doing finishing and sending your paperwork. And Senator Organa is being considered as the new Chancellor.” Fox curled in on himself at Thorn’s heated glare.

Fox’s shoulders slumped in relief, “however,” Stone started, “he wanted to talk with you.”

Fox sighed, looked to the side and moved. 

“Nope.” Thorn's arms wrapped around Fox, shoving him back and holding him.

Fox started panicking again, he felt his chest constrict and Thire grabbed his shoulders and pressed their foreheads together, “you don’t have to, I don’t think he’ll make you do anything.”

“Are you sure?” Fox asked quietly.

“If not, we’ll leave,” definite and final, _so very Stone._

“Okay...okay,” Fox whispered. 

“Other than the Chancellor’s death and his replacement what’s going on,”

“The Chancellor was a Sith Lord!” Thire breaks, “the missing time was him sending us out to take our senators, syndicates, and other potential threats so he could continue the war…”

Thorn and Fox exchanged a look. Both decided to put that on the back burner and think about it later in private. 

“Battalions are back, there’s a clone rights bill being considered. Which is probably another reason why Organa wants to talk to you,” Stone finished. 

“The others?”

“Kote and Bly are at the Temple with their respective lovers and Wolffe is with Plo’buir.” Thire listed, “Rex is with Tano supporting Skywalker after Palpatine’s betrayal, Monnk is sorting out his men, Doom is with Tiplar, Neyo and Bacara are being Neyo and Bacara, etcetera.” 

“So they’re here?” Fox asked, looking a bit hurt.

“Yeah, they asked about you,” Stone started.

“Try again,”

“They told me and I quote: ‘don’t let the buzzkill know we’re here for a bit, we want to have a little fun before we get the guard up our shebs’,”

“Sounds about right,” Fox sighed, “if they ask, I’m dead.”

“Gotcha sir,” 

“Also,” Fox started, “on the downlow, how many kilos of spice we got?”

“One kilo of glittstems we busted it off Senator Gatski,” Thire smirked, “but the new Chancellor so kindly provided us Palpatine’s private alcohol stash for our troubles.”

“Who's been annoying this week?”

“Three of Hound’s boys got jailed for a brawl and Cardinal’s boys tried to fight Dogma’s again,” 

“Reassign them to dawn patrol,”

“Yes sir.” Thire saluted, walking off.

“So Senator Organa?” Thorn asked.

“Can you guys watch Fox?”

“Of course.” Stone picked up the tooka, “you ready to have some fun ad’ika?” 

“Oh gods they’ve bonded,” 

Fox snorted and walked off with Thorn. Weaving around rushing assistants and to Senator er- Chancellor Organa’s new office.

Thorn put his hand on Fox's shoulder, “if he tries anything we can leave.”

“Thanks Thorn, I don’t think I say it enough. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, you really didn’t have to-.” Fox was stopped when Thorn pressed a kiss to his lips.

“You’ll be fine, kih'parjai.” Thorn said between kisses, “and honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to manage with the guard without you, and I certainly wouldn’t have found my cyar'ika.”

Fox's eyes began to sting, allowing himself to be pulled into a tight hug. A tear trailed down his cheek as Thorn’s fingers ran through his hair, the other hand trailing along his spine and around his waist. Fox hummed, enjoying these few seconds before separating. 

They stared, Fox brushed their noses and Thorn kissed his tear tracks. 

“Time to face the world,” Fox sighed, “don’t drink all the alcohol.” 

“Of course not, we need to see how many kilos you can take before you become Force-Sensitive,”

“You think I’ll get a laser sword and sexy robes?” 

“You do have the Hutt robes,” Thorn laughed, “good luck paklalut.”

Fox softened at the nickname, “ret’orar.”

He put on his bucket, and made his way to Organa’s office. He stood at attention, gone was the former relaxed state of spine.

The doors opened to reveal the remodeled Chancellor’s office. It was brighter, more open. The curtains no longer drawn, letting the sunlight in, décor replaced the vacant room. Paintings, statues, and other memorabilia were placed around, he saw several holos.

“Commander Fox,”

“Chancellor.” Fox straightened his spine, head snapping to attention.

“Stand down Commander, sit,”

“Thank you Chancellor,” Fox sat down on a plush chair, cocking his head at the lack of flimsiwork piled on for him, “sir?”

“I assume you’re wondering where all the work I’m going to assign you is?” Organa asked, warm brown eyes so different form Palpatine’s cruel blue. 

“You’re not sir?” 

“Not completely, your service has been invaluable to both the GAR and the Republic. I don’t think we would’ve managed as well as we had if not for you and your work ethic,” Fox was stunned, he felt his breath hitch.

“Sir?” Fox asked, voice cracking.

“As you have probably heard, there’s a clone rights bill in the drafts,” Fox immediately knew where this was going, but he heard Organa out, “you are one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the GAR, your heroics in the First Battle of Geonosis and your subsequent service to not only the guard for which you were assigned, but the Senate and the Republic as a whole. Civilians are all aware of who you are, the Senate, whether they admit to it or not, has used your expertise and strategy to not only win battles of politics, but maintain peace in their homeworlds. I have seen personally your work ethic and your inside knowledge of the senate workings would help me greatly. I believe that you would make a great representative for the GAR,”

“I’m sorry sir, the representative for the GAR?” 

“Do you not believe you deserve the job?” 

“Sir, I’m just a clone, I’m just republic property, nothing about me screams Senate material,” Fox tried. 

“Believe me, I would have made you Chancellor if I didn’t know what backlash and harassment you would face, and no doubt a welcome break from being the chancellor is in order,”

“Sir, with all due respect, I don’t believe I am the ideal choice for either position,”

“Why?” 

“I have been told I am distant, cold. I am not liked by those outside my guard, which only makes up a small portion of the army. I love all my brothers, but I don’t believe those sentiments are returned anymore,” Fox continued, “I am _alone_ for lack of a better term. My only allies are in the Guard. There's people in the senate I suppose, but...but even by some chance the vode decided I was worthy, I’m not the best when it comes with dealing with emotional situations or just situations involving direct contact,”

_I’m useless, wasting away under pressure that probably doesn’t compare to that of my vode. I’m getting weak, tired, pathetic. I can’t do it anymore. I’m done being the villain in everyone’s story-_

“So, you’re saying that you feel that you’re not good for this job,” _is this it? Is this where I’m decommissioned?_

“I’m saying that I’m better at providing for a figurehead. I can deal with politicians, I can draft bills, placate senators, work with citizens, and command my men to the best of my ability but I don’t think I’m prepared or have the necessary ability to maintain a public face.” The Chancellor nodded.

“Could it be a team?” 

“A what sir?” 

“Like a group of representatives, similar to what you were doing before, but with one of your brothers doing the speaking. A team,”

Fox looked surprised, _I can do that_?

“Could I sir?” Fox asked hopefully, praying that this wasn’t a joke like Palpatine used to to play. Offering Fox a reward for something before ripping it away, leaving Fox reeling, trying to catch up.

Organa nodded kindly, “if that’s what you wish. I and other Senators, even if they don’t want to admit it, have been provided invaluable counsel by you throughout the war, I would be honored to serve beside you in a time of peace.”

“Thank you sir. I have plenty of good men and brothers who I know will be good for this,”

“Commander Thorn?” Organa smiled knowingly at Fox.

“Of course, he is my closest confidant and I don’t think I could do it without him.”

“What about Commander Cody?”

“I would hope that he would, but it’s not a good outlook,” Fox answered honestly.

His hotheaded baby brother Cody, while a good representative for the vode, was eager to prove himself, Jango’s ghost hanging over Kote like a cloud of shame. Cody could be rash, but he was a brilliant strategist and if he put his mind to something. He was a force to be reckoned with on a good day and his larger than life demeaner.

Wolffe would shut down senators at a moment’s notice with bared teeth in a snarl; but, ultimately the guard liked C3P0 a hell of a lot more than any Wolfpack member. _‘3P0 doesn’t get arrested in bar brawls and cause extra paperwork so General Koon won’t fight the GAR and subsequently Fox, which would be more lost hours sleeping_. Even if they were interested, neither of them liked Fox, they no longer trusted him, would no longer take his advice.

If Fox tried to appease them he would lose say in what happens to his men as well as a good standing in the chamber, neither Kote nor Wolffe took the time to watch, they chose their prey and leapt, consequences be damned. And if Fox inserted himself, he would be considered more of a shabla than he already was. Lose whatever tentative bond remained with his batchmates.

Thire and Stone sounded good in theory, but Fox wouldn’t subject them any longer to the darkness of Coruscant, or risk Stone trying to fight another senator. Not to mention they needed frontliner support to get everything done. 

Dogma was a frontliner...No. Fox wouldn't do that to him, force knows his kid helped him out enough, taking his extra paperwork whenever he needed it, he probably still would despite Fox's endless request that he not do that.

Ponds though, he would’ve been perfect, it made Fox miss his batchmate like a limb. The phantom pains in his heart coiled in his stomach.

“I know Commander Thorn will join me, no matter what I say. And I trust him to have my back. I have nothing but praise for Cody and Wolffe and can list for hours on what they bring to the table, but ultimately, it will be useless, unless you ask them personally,”

Fox nodded, “what about Palpatine?” Fox’s in-senate contacts had sent him vague news and updates while Thorn was resting with Fox II. The guard was aware of Palpatine’s shadiness. They watched Palpatine wax poetic about citizen safety and food benefits for the disenfranchised while having Fox draft bills to raise tariffs and set up the GAR to attack Outer Rim planets that can barely feed let alone defend themselves. The Guard _knew_ that their government was rotting from the inside, just like the planet they were on. The sith conspiracy had been a horrifying surprise, one that explained so much.

“His bills, calls, and files are all being reviewed, if he so much as looked at something it’s being reviewed by both the Senate, CSF, and the Jedi Council,”

“And my Guard?” Fox asked hesitantly.

“Thire told me about the Missing Hours, as well as gave me your notes on it,” Organa said and Fox panicked, “I turned it over to the Jedi Council, and they believe the mental manipulation combined with stress of working as the pseudo-chancellor has taken a combined toll, they want you and the others to attend sessions with a mind-healer to root out what missions he sent you on.”

“Yes sir,” 

“Thank you Commander," Organa nodded, "and as I said before, your council was extremely valuable. I hope I can relay on it in the future,”

Fox nodded, Organa stood up, Fox behind him. They walked to the door, and the Chancellor held the door, “Sir,” he stopped, looking at Fox, “thank you, for the chances and opportunities. I’m grateful for the ability to help my brothers.”

“After what you all have done for us, it is the least we can do,”

Fox saluted and left to go to the guard barracks. As soon as he _bailed_. _Oh gods, I got too much Thorn in me._

Fox ducked under a low hanging door frame and opened the door.

“C’mmand’r!” He heard Thire as the bastard wrapped around him.

“Fucks!” Various catcalls throughout the barracks and he couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad at his mens’ red faces and cheeky smiles.

Fox grunted as Thorn jumped on his back.

“Paklalat!” Thorn pulled off his helmet and Fox laughed, “we got the glittstems!” 

“Oh gods,” Fox groaned, looking at Caw and Ibis flipping off the wall, trying to slap the roof with paint covered hands. The champion slap was borderline in the middle of the roof. Jackrabbit, may he rest in peace, smoked half a kilo before jumping off the walls, slapping the _middle_ of the 8-foot-tall roof, his name has gone down in infamy, and every time they confiscate glitterstems there’s always an attempt of beating his distance.

He briefly saw Dogma and Hound making out in the background and _wasn't that bastard supposed to be on patrol_ , he wondered briefly. Wing and Robins were doing handstands. Kip and Skipper were telling a story based on their wild hand gestures, a group of shinies were watching, enamored.

Talon was braiding Jay's dark hair, her own long hair was tied up in several small braids. Both sisters laughing, a few other vode were migrating to the Braid Circle. Fox nodded at them as he and Thorn passed. Talon gave him a wink and Thorn wrapped his arms around Fox’s waist, sticking his tongue out at her, she laughed jovially in response. 

They made their way to Thire and Stone. Fox II was jumping around in excitement, three other tookas bouncing around.

“ _No,_ ” Fox’s eyes widened. 

“Meet Stone, Thire, and Thorn!” 

“Gods,” Thire II, a tiny tooka with large ears and white pelt, little reddish and brown stripes, nuzzled Stone II. Stone’s mini was dark grey, with maroon and white splashes. 

“You let Th’rn have one!” Stone slurred, petting Fox II as Thorn II jumped into his lap. The tooka was mottled gold and brown, with dark red splotches on his back. 

“Yeah, cause Thorn’s my favorite,” Fox said, taking a shot.

“Hah!” Thorn pressed a kiss to Fox’s cheek and scar on his temple. Smirking at Stone in victory. Fox felt his rare crooked smile stretch across his cheeks, feeling his everything loosening as the alcohol took effect.

Fox eventually found himself cuddling into Thorn, who was enthusiastically nuzzling his neck, “you wanna fuse together and become...the... the ultimate clone senator?” Fox asked against Thorn’s neck.

“Wha- I thought you weren’t gonna do it,”

“Ni didn't copad at vaabir bic solus,” Fox murmured.

“Meg?” 

“Organa cuyir at traatika.” 

“Tome?” Thorn asked. 

Fox nodded vigorously, Thorn pulled him impossibly closer.

“Of course,” 

Fox pressed a kiss to Thorn’s lips.

"Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” he whispered against Thorn. Thorn gasped, looking at Fox stunned, who was blushing fiercely. 

“Gar rejorhaa'ir te haat?”

“Ori’haat,” Fox said, looking more assured than ever.

“Nakar'tuur,” Thorn murmured. Maneuvering around their tooka counterparts purring in the middle of the bunk. 

* * *

Fox groaned, sneezing as he felt the familiar tooka fluff on his face. He felt warm all around, but his head felt like it was boiling. He felt a familiar presence shifting behind him. 

Fox moved, slowly pushing Fox the Tooka off his face, moving the grumbling animal from his face. Moments from last night flashed, and he saw the new Thorn move towards Fox II, curling around him. Fox relaxed as he felt Thorn press behind him. Pressing light kisses to his neck and nosing his hair. 

Fox turned to kiss the scar between Thorn’s cheek and nose. Both were in their blacks sans tops. He looked over to see Thire draped across the top bunk to their left, Stone below them with their respective tookas. He saw Dogma and Hound curled together on the floor, Talon was resting with Sera, He saw an arm above him with dark red and black feathers inked into skin, he figured it was Cardinal. Suddenly, everything came back to him,

“Osik!” Fox shouted. 

“Jate?” Thorn asked, rubbing his eyes and messy hair. 

“I proposed!” 

Thorn blushed and Fox turned redder. He heard brothers grumble about being woken up while others remained blissful. 

“You don’t have to accept,” Fox said hesitantly, ducking down as he felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“Gar cuyir ner yaim, vaii gar slanar Ni shekemir,” Thorn declared, grabbing Fox’s chin and making eye contact, “gar cuyir Pal'vut bal Ni cuy' gar.” 

Fox grinned wildly, pulling them together. Repeating his words from the night before, “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” His eyes brighter and happier than Thorn recalled seeing them in a long time and gaze clear.

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde,” Thorn returned, he smiled warmly as Fox pulled him closer. They heard whistles behind them and saw Thire and Stone giving them enthusiastic thumbs up. Dogma was looking at Thorn with an odd intent in his eyes, Fox’s ad had trouble disconcerting certain situations, it was clear this was one of them. Fox knew he was in for a reaming later and Thorn would be getting a very graphic description of his murder. The former Frontier looked at Fox and back at Thorn, giving a small nod. Hound was next to him, giving them a bright smile and a wolf whistle. Cardinal was smiling down at them, Talon and Caw gave him twin grins. 

“Epar oisk.” Fox grumbled, burying his flushed face in Thorn’s neck, feeling Thorn’s throat work. There was laughter around them and Fox felt himself smiling. The little tookas were running around, seemingly sensing the joyous atmosphere.

“Vi ri’kir gal, ori’skraan, riduur, yaim’dabika!” He heard a shout.

“Oya!” Various shouts came and Thorn laughed. 

They all just faded into content silence before Fox remembered, “Who’s taking morning patrol?” 

There were groans of annoyance before Dogma cut in, “we’re on leave for a while until the GAR gets sorted out.”

“Do you know what’s gonna happen?” a small voice called, a shiny.

“The chancellor has suggested a senator representing us.” There were whispers and Fox heard his name through the rumbles.

“Are you gonna do it?” Hound asked.

“Organa requested, and I initially declined-,” 

“You declined!”

“Why-,”

“Commander-,”

“Are you-,”

“You’re easily the best choice for the job!”

_Father has_ ** _declined_ **_! Is father_ ** _going_ **_to pack_ ** _his_ **_rucksack and go?_ Fox II’s sad eyes accused. Thorn, Stone and Thire the Tookas were packed behind, there were two other Tookas that had not been there last night, all giving him stares of disappointment.

“Why are there two more tookas than last night?

“Why are you avoiding the question?” 

“I’ll finish my story and finalization of my decision if you tell me why we’re becoming a tooka shelter,”

“This is Dogma and Cardinal.” ‘ _That makes sense,’_ he thought, as the tookas began duking it out. The indigo and black tooka with a white face was hissing at a brick and white spotted tooka with a dark mark on his back.

“So, what was your damn decision?”

“The chancellor has given me the option for a team, Thorn and I will probably work together as a unit,”

“What about the Frontiers?” 

“Cody and Wolffe are also being considered,” Fox noticed Dogma and Hound exchange looks, “and if they find out about it through their men and not Organa I know who spilled and I will come for you.”

“Yes sir!” Shouts pierced through the room. Fox nodded in approval at his men. He was about to relax before he heard Talon ask,

“So, party?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cyar’ika- Sweetheart  
> Shebs- backside, rear, buttocks  
> Ad’ika- child  
> Kih'parjai- No problem, don't mention it  
> Paklalut'ika- a silver tongue, wit, eloquence (Thorn's nickname for Fox)  
> Ret’ orar'ika- bye thunder (THORn guys)  
> Kote- glory (Cody's original name)  
> Vode- siblings  
> Shabla-screw up  
> Ni didn't copad at vaabir bic solus-I didn’t want to do it alone  
> Meg-what  
> Organa cuyir at traatika-Organa is giving me a team  
> Tome-together  
> Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde-We are one whether we are together or apart, we will share everything and we will raise our children as warriors (Mandalorian marriage vows)  
> Gar rejorhaa'ir te haat-you telling the truth  
> Ori’haat-I swear, no bull  
> Nakar'tuur-tomorrow  
> Osik-dung  
> Jate-good  
> Gar cuyir ner yaim, vaii gar slanar Ni shekemir-you are my home, where you go I follow  
> Gar cuyir Pal'vut bal Ni cuy' gar-you are mine and I am yours  
> Epar oisk-eat shit  
> Vi ri’kir gal-we should  
> Ori’skraan, riduur, yaim’dabika-r&r, lit. beer, good eats, good company, and return to camp. *summary of a Mando soldier’s idea of a good night out  
> Oya-Many meanings: literally *Let's hunt!* and also *Stay alive!*, but also *Hoorah!*, *Go you!*, *Cheers!* Always positive and triumphant.
> 
> *Please note, Fox has been in a dark situation for years of war, being told he is worthless and nobody cares for him. He was fending for himself, and while he had Thorn, Thorn couldn't always be there. Fox viewed himself as somewhat of an outcast before he was placed in the Guard, and his brothers slowly fading out of his life out of the notion that he was Palpatine's Lapdog (not that he had a choice), it wasn't out of malice, more out of a projection of their off perceptions of Palpatine on Fox.  
> *The guard knew that Palpatine was a sketchy son of a bitch, just not how sketchy he was or how much of a hand in the war he had.  
> *Dogma was bailed from jail bc Fox vibed with him.  
> *Due to exposure with other species and cultures, everything is very fluid with the guard, which is why there are more trans or non-binary guards as compared to frontline troopers.


	3. You Were The Shadow To My Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commander Cody and Commander Wolffe have accepted the position as Representatives for Clone Citizens, but not for the reason some think. They ultimately decided to take the position as they feel the need to keep an eye on Fox, to make sure he does what's best for the vode as a whole, and not just himself or the guard. Watch the Command Squad talk shit, meet a tooka, and adopt a pair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading this, please note, I haven't written Wolffe ever and I've only recently gotten back into the fandom (I was really into it 5 years ago, and got back in with the final season- it was so bad I forgot who Echo was and had to re watch the first season lol). But I wanted to make it seem realistic, I personally think there would be a huge cultural differences between the guard and front-liners. I've based this on cultural discourse I've seen within my own cultures (white Cuban immigrants - Puerto Riccan immigrants (somehow, I'm fucking ginger like wtf))

_“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde,” Thorn returned, he smiled warmly as Fox pulled him closer. They heard whistles behind them and saw Thire and Stone giving them enthusiastic thumbs up. Dogma was looking at Thorn with an odd intent in his eyes, Fox’s ad had trouble disconcerting certain situations, it was clear this was one of them. Fox knew he was in for a reaming later and Thorn would be getting a very graphic description of his murder. The former Frontier looked at Fox and back at Thorn, giving a small nod. Hound was next to him, giving them a bright smile and a wolf whistle. Cardinal was smiling down at them, Talon and Caw gave him twin grins._

* * *

Wolffe bared his teeth as he moved through the Jedi Temple, Cody behind him. The conversation that they had just completed stewing in their minds.

“Wolffe,” he heard, and lo and behold Plo’buir appeared, General Kenobi behind him, “I heard about your promotion,” _Oh, no. Proud dad. Abort! Abort Mission!_

“Indeed sirs, we're honored for the opportunity,” Cody, ever reliable Cody, placated.

“I do believe congratulations are in order.” Obi-wan placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder, Plo’buir pulled Wolffe into a hug. 

“Thank you sirs, but this path is one we have to consider further,” Cody took the words out of Wolffe’s mouth.

“Yeah, us? Senators?” Wolffe laughed.

“Representatives actually, and even if you all were Senators, Commander Fox will be taking the bulk of this endeavour,”

“Then why are we doing this,” Wolffe snarled at the reminder of potentially working _for Fox._

“The Chancellor turned over some disturbing information regarding your brother.” The use of _brother_ stung. A reminder of what Fox had become: a shell, a droid among men. _Fox punching Prime in the face after he yelled at Bly was pretty satisfying too._

_But Fox became privileged and soft. He and his Corries live the high life. Patrols through a large steel city would never compare to the danger of mid battle patrols, praying you didn’t step on a land-mine or get shot in the head. Missions where hunting kingpins and rich bastards who got in deep was nothing like the stress of hunting sith or Separatist Generals. Years of paper pushing for Senators had softened Fox._

_The guard would never know what they went through on the field, they live blissfully unaware as Senate babysitters and paper weights. The Corries were just that, Coruscant Scum._

Wolffe and Cody were going to do it, not for the reasons that the Jedi think they are. Fox has become twisted, a mouth-piece for the Senate, something had replaced their former brother with this **‘** _dar’manda_ ** _’_** his mind spat. And Cody and Wolffe could not in good conscience leave Fox alone with such power.

“-will most likely need months of mind-therapy in order to get some memories back, and from what scans I’ve seen, he most likely will never get everything,” brought Wolffe back.

“What sir?”

“As you have been made aware the Chancellor was a Sith Lord. A few days after his death while we were going through his notes, we found disturbing plans-”

“Yes, Order 66,” Cody nodded.

“That, as well as previous missions regarding the Commander, as well as _punishments_ …” Kenobi trailed. _The bastard had seen something, Fox had done something terrible and now Kenobi was covering for him_

“Is it really a good idea to make Fox a Senator?” Wolffe hissed.

“Commander Fox, whether you believe it or not, is still an accomplished soldier. I have had the pleasure of working with him during the Hardeen mission,” Cody flinched, “His work ethic is unending, he is passionate and despite my reservations, I don’t think he has intentions of betraying the Republic.”

“Not on the Republic sir, if Fox is as _unbalanced_ as you are saying, is he mentally sound enough to do this? Wolffe and I didn't end the best terms with Fox,”

That was an understatement. Cody and Fox had a blowout after the _Hardeen Incident,_ that ended with Cody disowning Fox then and there. Wolffe and Fox’s ending had been a long time coming. Years of _will we won’t we_ ended with a simple line in the chat,

_Feral: You know the reason nobody responds to you is because nobody wants you here?_

_Lake: Uncalled for Wolffe_

While Fox and Ponds had a distant but functional relationship, Fox never interacted in the chat unless to use it for the original purpose. And even then, it was typically Stone who did regular updates. On leave Fox never came down from his high tower and running into him on patrol was rare, as Thorn took his patrols. _Some strange arrangement they have._

The last time they could say they actually _saw_ Fox face to face was after Geonosis, his body going blue at the lips, eyes blank, the gold sand stained red underneath his failing body. Whatever was left of Fox’s humanity had died there, bled out out the burning sands, replacing him with nothing but ice. Because as soon as he woke up, he was being promoted to the Coruscant Guard. 

And after Ponds died Fox was essentially erased from their lives. It was strange to lose two brothers when only one died, but he adjusted, they all did.

“And Fox will not be on his own, Commander Thorn will also be spearheading this operation alongside him,” Plo reassured, drawing Wolffe back into reality.

“He roped Thorn into this? Poor bastard, thought he would run for the hills as soon as he was freed,” 

“I have it on good authority that the two commanders are rather close friends,” _That was Plo’buir’s kind way of saying: Wolffe, if you don’t double down we will get killed._

“Do you know what else being a Representative will be like?” Cody asked, changing the subject and Wolffe promptly forgot about Fox and Thorn and this whole situation as the Jetti explained some perks of their new career. 

They stood in that hallway for a while, Wolffe and Cody absorbing new information until the Jedi Masters’ comms chimed.

“Apologies, Commanders we must be off,” 

“Be seeing you, generals?” Cody asked, a small smile.

“Of course Commander, who else will drag you to the medbay when you inevitably try to fight someone,” Kenobi jabbed, walking off before Cody could snipe back. 

Wolffe snickered and Cody punched him. Both men dipped their heads and made their way to the Command Barracks to rant.

They ducked into the barracks, and were swarmed by curious vode. Both Cody and Wolffe were pushed towards the middle of the room, questions from every which way.

“Quiet!” Wolffe felt relieved at Doom’s loud shout, “let the di’kute speak!”

“Thanks.” Cody whispered, they sat down on the floor. The rest followed them in suit. 

“So, what are the deets!” Bly shouted and Wolffe almost killed him.

“Where are the Corries?” Cody shot back.

“Doing whatever they do in their free time,” Davijaan asked Cody.

“Stop avoiding the question-” Rex was cut off, “little gods.”

“What?”

“There’s a tooka,”

“A tooka?”

“On your bunk, a tooka.” They all looked at Bacara’s bunk, and there it was. A small tooka was making itself comfortable, a rusty pelt was stark against the durensteel.

It looked up at them all looking at it. It made a curious sound and moved to sit up, yawning. It leisurely moved off the bunk to Wolffe, who sat back stunned as the tiny animal dropped into his lap.

“Okay…” Wolffe said awkwardly, not sure what to do. The others snickered at him before the Tooka took pity on him and nosed his hand, arching its spine underneath it. 

“Back to business,” Neyo chided. 

“The senate is drafting a bill for the vode, they need representatives. Fox and Thorn are for the Corries, Cody and I for us,”

“Imagine having to deal with Fox and Senators,” Gree sniped. 

“What’s the difference?” Bacara jumped in, they all laughed at that. The Tooka however, did not find that funny based off the sharp teeth in Wolffe’s arm. 

“Why!” Wolffe hissed, trying to pull the Tooka stuck to his arm. 

“That’s how it feels!” Cody shouted as they all laughed in agreement. _Not the time shabuir._

“But we do need to vote on it on our own,” Doom inserted.

“Can we even make any alternate choices?” Blackout stood up.

“Even if we can’t we’ll find a way,” Cody declared.

All the men stood and moved to their batchmates. Neyo and Bacara stared, ice in their veins and in their eyes; Gree and Faie stood, grumbling. Stone was missing; Blackout and Jet also stood among each other, talking quietly; Monnk and Doom were missing Thorn, both watching Wolffe and Cody and he felt very uncomfortable; Lock and Davijaan were missing Thire, standing near with Appo and Rex. Bly nodded at Cody and Wolffe, his opinion was known.

There were quiet murmurs through the room. After a while the room quieted and they all looked at the two. 

“We agree with the decision,” Jet said, Blackout nodding.

“We are also in agreement,” Gree rumbled, Faie looming behind him.

“While you di’kut are morons we’ll go for it so long as we get a bit of input,”

“Of course,” Cody nodded.

“We’ll go with it,” Doom nodded.

Rex and Appo also agreed. The tooka who was still hanging off his arm also nodded approvingly. 

“Anyone opposed, speak now or forever hold your peace,” Wolffe growled.

“Aye!” They all shouted. The group all remained in silence for a while.

“Who’s gonna update the Corries?” Bly asked.

“Not it!” A unanimous shout echoed in the small room.

“We have to talk to them anyway, we’ll do it tomorrow.” Wolffe grumbled as the tooka finally released his poor arm.

The vode nodded, and Blackout spoke, “Command Pile?”

All the men nodded and dragged the mattresses to the middle of the room. Grabbing the thin blankets and they all piled on each other. Wolffe nipped at Bacara’s arm when it covered his face and jabbed Faie’s ribs to fix the shoddy angle his arm was in. 

Slowly, the group fell asleep. Wolffe’s last thought was of what the future might entail. 

* * *

“Ughhh,” Wolffe heard Cody moan. They all moved from their reenactment of the Nikto Centipede. He heard a small thud as Bacara moved,

“Neyo I swear if you don’t get your shebs out of my face,”

“Get your ugly face out of my shebs,” Neyo snapped.

“We all have the same face you moron,” Monnk hissed.

“I’m beautiful, I’ll have you know,” 

“Liar!” Bacara shouted, “it’s the tattoo and the hair, the rest of you is ugly as a Rankorr.”

“Ladies, ladies. You’re both ugly,” Jet snickered.

“You didn’t even know what a woman was until like seven so shut up,”

“Where’s the tooka?” Cody asked. 

“Don’t you guys have representative shit to do?” Appo sniped, the rest of them smirked as the ‘ _oh shit’_ look. Wolffe instantly forgot the tookas and bolted. 

“Buh bye!” Bly shouted.

“I’ll kill you later.” Cody shouted as he and Wolffe rushed out. The two jogged to the Senate building. Moving through the building, trying their best to dodge senators who made no effort to move out of their way. They came to a rushed stop at what they believe to be Fox’s office, taking a moment to catch their breath. 

Wolffe knocked, and he heard an invite in. They exchanged a look and stepped inside.

“Commanders.” Organa stood, Fox and Thorn were behind him, both in full kits. Both men were leaning over a holotable. They were doing what appeared to be some form of sign, before; Thorn, sans bucket, looked up and bumped Fox’s shoulder and they stood straight. Both nodding in tandem. 

“I feel under dressed sir,” Cody tried. And they were, in only formal grays rather than full armor.

“Oh no, Commanders Fox and Thorn have patrols and other Senate duties in a little while, I’m just here to go over last few documents and talking pointers before leaving,” 

Cody and Wolffe exchanged a look, moving over the holotable to come to rest across Fox and Thorn, who were mumbling quietly to themselves. Fox was reading over some flimsi while Thorn was sorting them into various piles, occasionally moving to stand over Fox and whisper something in his ear.

“Commander Wolffe, Commander Cody.” Fox greeted, his voice was hoarse, tired. Thorn made a noise of acknowledgement, tapping Fox’s vembrace

To anyone else, Fox would have _murdered_ right then and there. Touching Fox was a big nono. Fox had never been the most touchy-feely, only his batchmates really ever got the privilege of touch and even that was limited and with permission. Wolffe and Alpha had been the part of the few who had been granted full body touches, leaping hugs or fear induced snuggles. Late night caresses when neither could sleep.

Fox didn’t turn and shoot Thorn, didn’t even say a word, he just leaned and pressed their shoulders together. ‘ _Okay, who is this and what have they done with Fox,’_ Wolffe’s thoughts growled and Wolffe had to agree. Touching Fox had been a gift all on its own, but Fox _touching_ , was nothing to scorn. Fox just...didn't initiate contact. It was against everything he was.

His surprise must have shown, as Cody lightly kicked his shin. He whirled on Cody ready to tear his throat before he met his concerned look. Wolffe sighed, why was Fox always making their lives so _difficult_.

“I need you to read over these and sign the bottom, both your designation numbers and names,” Fox handed them a piece of flimsi each, “read the whole damn thing before signing it.”

“You guys wouldn’t believe how many Senators don’t read these and lose everything they have,” Thorn snarked, his viscous smile causing them to not just scroll to the bottom, not that Cody would’ve.

_You sign your life to the republic (nothing new there)...no calamari ever again...don’t fistfight other senators (in public)...don’t put a hit out on other senators (don’t get caught)...if a sith lord is posing as the chancellor and I do not immediately report on it, I can be accused of conspiracy and be subsequently imprisoned, -_ what _?_

“What’s this last one?” 

“If caught having intercourse with other Senators, all opinions and topics of debate will be invalid?”

“I thought it was: refusal to go through with drug and alcohol testing will result in an immediate ban from Senate Chambers and Senate proceedings until compliance?”

“That’s the last part of Article II, I think he meant the last of the document,”

“The last part of Article V,”

“The Palpatine clause?”

“I think,”

“It’s not really there for anything other than to appease the public.” Fox muttered, handing another piece of flimsi to Thorn.

“But why is it there at all?”

“Because the Chancellor was a Sith Lord?”

“I get that, but what’s the point?”

“The Senate are under the impression that there were individuals in my Guard as well as others who were aware of Palpatine’s identity. They wish to make it seem as if there was actual punishment involved for the other nat-borns,”

“But he’s a Sith Lord!” Cody sputtered, Fox shrugged.

“There are fights you have to pick, and others you have to let pass, no matter how wrong it seems,” Thorn murmured, defeat clear on his face, echoed in Fox’s shoulders, they tapped shoulders again.

“Did you know, Fox?”

“Yes,” Fox breathed, “no... I don’t even really know?”

“The last one came out as a question, you either knew or you didn’t.” Cody snarled and Wolffe moved closer, staring down Fox’s caving shoulders as he curled in on himself under their looks. _Okay, this is weird._

Fox would have spat back, weaving his brilliantly-crafted words like poetry. If he had been involved, he would have ran them in circles for months with circumstantial evidence until they gave up. If he hadn’t, a similar thing would’ve occurred, but he would end it with a osik eating grin while delivering direct evidence that proved his innocence, making them regret the accusation. 

“It’s complicated.” Fox finished, Thorn made a small noise and pressed his hand into the nape of Fox’s neck. Fox leaned back into the touch, quieting and sagging. If Fox started purring Wolffe wouldn’t be surprised, Fox used to have the cutest purr.

“Palpatine’s general...well Palpatine made our lives significantly harder,” Thorn clarified vaughly.

Fox made a sound of agreement before scooting back with a small noise, his hand moving to his center mass, “damnit Thorn!” 

Thorn laughed as a golden tooka with red markings leapt up on the table before pawing at Fox’s bucket. Fox sighed before removing it and _damn._

Fox looked like shit and that was an understatement. His hair was knotted or curly, Wolffe couldn’t tell and was slightly longer than regulation. Silver streaks showed obviously against the black curls. He had several small scars on his face, a larger one ran across his crooked nose. A decent sized cut was scored on the left side of his forehead. His skin, no longer a warm bronze, was washed out and tinged slightly yellow. His eyes were dark and somber, dark purple shadows and worry lines completed the picture. 

“You look like shit Fox.” Cody blurted, Thorn gave them a look and Fox frowned. 

“Thanks?” 

They stood in awkward silence for a while, until Thorns comm chimed. 

“ _Sir?”_

“Sergeant Hound,”

_“We have a problem,”_

“What’s new,” Fox rasped. 

_“Commander Fox.”_ Hound greeted and Fox made a noncommittal noise. 

“What’s the problem Sergeant?” Thorn asked tiredly, Fox hummed in agreement. 

_“Do you remember how you told us that we should go to-“_

“I’m sending Dogma to pick you up, and I swear to Fett if you pull this again I will skin you,” (Intense, straight to the point, so very Fox).

_“Uh, sirs?”_

“What Sergeant,” Thorn sighed tiredly.

_“Hey Commander,”_

_“_ No,” Fox hissed, “you kriffing did _not_.” 

Wolffe was so confused what even was the Guard.

“ _I_ _’m sorry sir, Hound made me”_

“ _T_ _his was your idea,”_

“Don’t blame Dogma for your mistakes, and we all know he would never pull this shit,”

“ _Favoritism much,”_

“All you waste of cells annoy me equally,” Fox hissed. 

_“Going back to our situation,”_

“We’re sending Thire,”

“ _Uhh, we might’a sorta stolen a briefcase full of credits from Cad Bane,”_

_“_ Okay, nothing new there,”

“ _And in our evasive maneuvers, we may have accidentally in our eagerness to escape, kinda got arrested,”_

“I’m sorry, _what_.” Fox stood up, and side-stepped Thorn’s outreached arm.

“ _Sir, sir. Commander Thorn what is he doing? He’s still there right? Is he angry, please Fox, it was a total accident,”_ Hound and Dogma shrieked as Fox marched out putting his bucket back on and Thorn snorted.

“Good luck Sergeants, Fox is on the hunt,” Thorn smirked and hung up. There were various door slams and Thorn chuckled.

Cody was looking at the screen with confusion. 

“What?” Thorn looked at Cody, Wolffe was thinking the same thing. 

“Dogma…” Cody whispered and Thorn’s face fell.

“Osik,” Thorn mumbled.

“Who?” Wolffe asked at the same time. 

“One of Rex’s boys,” Thorn stiffened at that, looking like he was going to contest before Cody continued, “he was on the execution block after Umbara.”

“He’s the kid from Umbara?” Wolffe asked, he knew about the Umbara situation, they all did. He was fortunate to have never had encountered Krell, gods knew that he would have been decommissioned moments after. When he heard he was pissed, not as angry as Plo was.he last he heard was the kid had been sent to Kamino by Fox. On Fox’s orders. Clearly something had happened there. 

“How is he still alive?” Cody said incredulously.

“Fox bailed him out, forged a few documents, nothing new.” Thorn grabbed a few documents and also made his way to the door.

“Where are you going,”

“To make sure Fox doesn’t commit murder,” Thorn opened the door, “don’t mess with anything other than on the table and please don’t go through the piles without putting everything back, that's Thorn II, and the red tooka who thinks he's slick is Fox II.”

And with that, the door shut and footsteps faded. Wolffe and Cody exchanged a brief glance and immediately made a move for Fox’s desk. _I mean we are little brothers,_ attempting to justify himself to Fett and the two judgmental tookas as they quickly opening and shuffling through drawers. 

They looked through various notes, documents, and pictures. Amused at crude drawings and letters to the guardsmen from foundlings. Saddened at the multiple KIA and MIA reports of Guardsmen, which is a lot more than they expected, they decided to pocket that, there were pictures and videos. Wolffe was a bit surprised to see multiple extra additions to their Requisition Forms, little things like blankets, better rations, extra paint, it was odd. He’d assumed that Plo’buir had requested those things, not given to them by Fox. Cody snorted when he saw a checklist that had multiple tallies with various titles of 

_Times Cody has Shattered Bones While Getting Into a Fistfight With Droids_

_Times Gree has Consumed an Foreign Plant and Almost Died or Got Really Sick_

_Times Wolffe has Bitten Droids_

_Times Bly has Gotten Shot While Checking Out General Secura_

_Times Neyo has Made Shinies Piss Themselves Using “The Stare”_

Wolffe snickered at Bly’s and both shuffled further, seeing broken data pads and several more holos. Wolffe and Cody stopped at a hastily scrawled note.

_What am I doing?_

_I’m sorry. I don’t really know what I did wrong. Perhaps I was always wrong. Things are all wrong. It’s dark and cold and I don’t know how to say what I want to say. I’m losing my men, losing my mind and losing time. I have to be perfect or we’re all going to be killed. I don’t know what I’m going to do. If I fail, I die, Thorn dies, everyone dies. I can’t keep everyone safe, my shinies are scared, it’s always so dark. The chancellor is doing something but I do not know what is going on, my boys are nervous, they’re breaking under the pressure, and I can’t do anything to help them.._

_I’m tired. I’m tired of being worried. I’m tired of being hated. I’m tired of the vode hating me. I’m tired of running everything. I’m tired of sending men to their deaths. I’m exhausted._

_Maybe Wolffe is right, maybe I am just Coruscant scum… I need to pull it together._

Wolffe’s breath hitched at his brother’s scrawl. He and Cody exchanged a panicked look and dug deeper. 

Notes detailing Fox’s confusion, sadness, loneliness, his fear and disgust at the Chancellor, other Senators, and himself, desire to end it all. Some were scattered memories, "- _will most likely need months of mind-therapy in order to get some memories back ,”_ _Kenobi had said_ , he had been confused, but now he understood. Some detailed punishments that were dished out ( _That, as well as previous missions regarding the Commander, as well as punishments)._ A backlog of torture, that Fox was struggling to maintain memories of. It was awful, to see their older brother's cracking sanity, to understand why he became so... weird and withdrawn when he started out at Coruscant.

Some were stained with tears, others ink. and most worryingly, blood. Fox’s feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and self-loathing were highlighted in each note. Apologies to them, that he wasn’t a good brother and how he was sorry that he brought them down, how he was proud of them, and how he was worried. How much he loved them and missed them… they shoved the notes back into the drawer and backed away. 

“I…” Cody started, gesturing at the now closed cabinet. 

“Me neither,” Wolffe said, his hands trembled slightly. _Stop that, it’s just Fox._

“What do we do?” 

“I don’t know, do I look like a therapist?” Wolffe growled, _how did we not notice, what should happen? Cody what should we do?_

“Can you stop being a di’kut for once and take this seriously.” Cody snarled, whirling in him with angry eyes. 

“I am taking it seriously, there’s nothing we can do,”

“And why not?” Cody shouted, _there it was._ Cody’s desire to please, his desire for approval. The only person who ever gave it freely before Kenobi was Fox. Fox, who Cody has disowned, declared him as dar’ manda. And they followed that, leaving Fox in the to bleed out in the sand once again. 

“What could we do, huh Cody?” Wolffe spat, hands clenching, “we weren’t created to handle these things, we’re f for fucked.”

A small noise and they came back to see the tooka that had freaked out Fox earlier, still sitting on the holo table. It gave them a mournful look before the red tooka from the other night gave them a sad stare. 

The golden tooka jumped off the table and was followed by the red one. The gray and cream tookas followed them and the small group stood in front of the pair. Both Cody and Wolffe leaned down and they lumped into their arms. 

The red tooka nuzzled Wolffe’s neck and the gray one lifted up his hand and went down under it. Wolffe almost broke down then and there. He curled around the small animal, one of his hands was buried in velvety fur his other hand was was playing with the tail of the gray tooka.. He heard Cody make a tiny sound. 

He leaned back against the wall, the tooka moved with him. 

“What do we do?” Cody asked again.

“We keep this to ourselves?” Wolffe said, his statement coming out as more of a question. The tooka moved from his lap, jumped up to the holotable and grabbed the pads they had been given. The contracts lay in front of them.

Wolffe picked it up, Cody doing the same. He looked at the tooka, it’s eyes reflected himself, he understood the: _stay with him_. Wolffe nodded, signing it. Cody did the same. 

“Should we say something to the Jedi?” Cody asked, the tooka in his arms made a small noise of disapproval. 

“Should we tell the others?” The tookas exchanged a look, before making another sound declining the offer, licking his nose. 

“Do we talk to him,” the tookas glared. _Yeah, that’s not the best idea._

“What about Thorn?” Cody blurted, Wolffe thought about it. Thorn touched Fox, Fox returned the touch, they talked, had jokes. Both served together for years, Thorn knew Fox better than they did at this point. The tooka nodded with approval. 

Both men stood up, joints cracking. Fox the Tooka in Wolffe’s arm crawled up to his shoulder. The cream tooka on Cody moved to his head and mussed his hair and the Thorn rested into his arms. 

“I guess they’re coming to,” Cody shrugged, petting the speckled cream and gold tooka. "do you have a name little guy?"

The tooka mad a small meow of no. The gray tooka made a similar sound.

"What about Kote," Wolffe rasped, trying to bring some light into the atmosphere. Cody sniffed.

"Then we'll call that one Wolffe," Cody responded.

“Why not, maybe he’ll come after us to get them,” Wolffe suggested hopefully, both shook their heads with a snort and both walked out.

Planning for tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Faded - Alan Walker
> 
> dar’manda- a state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditionall-minded Mando'ade  
> Ori’vod- older brother
> 
> Don't judge Wolffe to harshly. He is a) a somewhat bitter ex and b) hadn't really ever liked Palpatine, and anyone associated with him (Fox) and that became even worse after Palpatine's betrayal.
> 
> Cody was also kinda salty at Fox, he knew Palpatine was shady from Kenobi and also was pissed when Kenobi was alive (Post Deception Arc) and was so angered he disowned Fox then and there (Fox didn't know, he doesn't get told these things, but he suspected).
> 
> Ponds and Fox were close bros, Windu does his paperwork, Fox likes that in a man. Fox kinda resents Neyo cause he replaced Ponds, so Bacara hates Fox.
> 
> CC discourse is dangerous, grudges last for years, and batchmates will back batchmates no matter what. Fox's batchmates lack of defense was his final straw before he completely detached and stopped making any attempts to connect with them.


	4. Look Me In My Eyes, Tell Me Everything's Not Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorn begins to realize the deeper consequences of Palpatine's manipulations to the guard, himself, and to Fox. He also begins to deal with the effects of his front-liner vode being in such close proximity after so many years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, believe it or nah I didn't mean for this to end like it did, I had originally wanted for it to end on a good note with reconciliation beginning as a group, maybe therapy. But... that isn't what happened, so here's this dumpster fire instead:

“Why not, maybe he’ll come after us to get them,” Wolffe suggested hopefully, both shook their heads with a snort and both walked out.

Planning for tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thorn groaned in annoyance at the fluffy tail blocking his oxygen intake. Closing his eyes tighter and turning his head around as Fox shifted underneath him. The tooka moved off him with an annoyed meow.

“Thorn’ika, up.” Fox pushed on his chest. Thorn responded naturally by pulling him closer, wrapping his arms around Fox’s back, one pressing into his knotted hair. Pointedly ignoring the scars left by electrical burns on Fox’s back that pressed against his stomach.

“Fox’ika, no,” Thorn tiredly shot back.

Fox snorted into his neck and attempted to roll Thorn off him, who refused to budge.

“Thorn, orar, I have work and you got therapy,”

“F’ck off, wanna sl’p,” Thorn smiled blissfully as Fox nipped his neck, trailing his teeth up to Thorn’s ear, before stopping,

“Guess I’ll have to shower on my own,” Fox teased.

Thorn groaned, before slowly moving off his riduur.

“Paklalat.” Thorn moved his hand to Fox’s face, rubbing his cheek with his thumb, tracing the scar across his nose. Fox moved his face to the side and pressed a kiss into his palm. Thorn smiled, moving his hand down to run along the blaster scar on his shoulder in order to press a kiss to Fox’s chapped lips, Thire II made an annoyed sound at the lack of attention.

Fox gave him a small smile, before tapping his chest, Thorn finally obliged, and moved off and stood sluggishly up. Fox followed him, stretching, Thorn couldn’t help but stare, both in love and regret. Watching the burns, cuts, and brands that were inflicted on Fox that he couldn’t do anything to help, couldn’t stop.

He ran his fingers along a large pale purple webbing that expanded across Fox’s back, pressing a kiss to the slash in his neck that had almost taken Fox from him.

Both took a quick shower, before Thorn put on his Grays while Fox got out his full kit.

“Patrol?”

“I don’t want to leave Dogma alone, in case Rex and his boys try something,”

“I doubt they would hurt him,”

“I don’t they would, at least on purpose. Everything is still fresh, I don’t want Dogma to be set back from where he his,”

“He’s a big boy, he can watch out for himself,”

“I know, but…” Fox sighed, and Thorn understood, Fox had spent hours watching over the kid, staying with him on terror-filled nights, spent months talking with him, working out a communication system to tell how he was feeling, trained him from the ground up, promoted him to an ARF. He knew that Dogma held a special place in Fox’s heart, and Fox would always see him as the kid that he held through times of tears, hugged through times of joy, seen off on his first mission, listening to excited babbling afterwards.

“I understand, but you have to be prepared to let him go someday,”

“I know,” Fox buried his head in Thorn’s neck, “I’ve prepared to lose every single one of you, I guess after all this was finished I got too excited.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, there will be a time when we will meet all those who have marched on in the stars, but that time is not now,”

Fox nodded, and they separated, “another day, another fight.”

“Another fight, another yelling round with medics,”

Fox smiled, nodded in thanks and made his way out, scratching Thire II’s ear on his way out. Thorn sat for a few minutes, thoughts racing before realizing he had his session in the Jedi Temple.

He sighed, “what am I going to do with you Thire?”

Thire II meowed softly, Stone II leapt up beside him and Thorn briefly wondered where Fox and Thorn II were.

He sighed again, and made his way out, Thire and Stone following him out. He made a quick detour to the barracks,

“Commander Thorn,” Talon stood in attention, Jackdaw and Shard as wall as Skipper, Koi, and Feather also stood up.

“At ease,” Thorn placated, “just checking up.”

“We’re good, sir,”

The vode relaxed, Shard and Jackdaw returned to their conversation while Skipper, Koi, Feather and Talon returned to their game of sabecc. Thorn nodded, and began his journey to the Jedi Temple.

He walked through the large golden halls, thanking Fett that he didn’t manage the men here, Thire the poor bastard.

He stopped in front of the room he and the others had been meeting at for the past few weeks now, ready to complete another useless hour of getting nothing from his fucked mind.

He knocked twice and waited at attention. A few seconds, instead of Healer Erin, General Koon stood.

“Sir!” He snapped a salute.

“Commander Thorn, it is good to see you, come in.” General Koon ushered him. Thorn stiffened at seeing Doom and Monnk, both his batchmates had nervous expressions.

“Commanders,” he greeted simply, Healer Erin nodded kindly at him, to which he responded. His eyes stopped at a group of tookas, both Fox and his copy stared back at him.

He moved to scratch their ears, both tookas purred and jumped into his lap. Fox bunted his cheek, playing with his short gold hair while Thorn curled on his lap.

“They like you,” Doom said, and Thorn took a moment to look at him, seeing the man shift to cover what appeared to be a scratch on his arm. Thorn laughed internally.

“I got Fox shortly before the Chancellor’s death, found him when I was on a mission in Mid-Coruscant. My mini came a few weeks after, when we came back from our mission on Tatooine, just appeared on our door,” Thorn explained, making conversation.

Monnk snorted and Doom remained silent.

Thorn hummed, “Fox was a bit pissy when first meeting Fox, but he came around.” Giving them a little something, an olive branch into his life that his brothers had deemed unimportant and not worth their time.

They seemed to see it and both nodded, looking at each other before General Koon made his way to speak,

“As we have been made aware, your Missing Time as you call it on your files, still possesses a slight danger, to both you and your other commanders.

“We are all aware sir. We are prepared to face whatever consequences together,”

“We believe that it will not come to that.” Koon said, placing a heavily redacted file in front of him.

“What is this?” Thorn asked, shifting through the pages, pictures of Senators, high ranking natborn officers, citizens and even brothers all flickered across the page. Names, dates, locations all tied together with a neat TERMINATED.

“We found them in Chancellor Palpatine’s files, we all figured you deserved to know,”

Thorn flicked through the pages rapidly, seeing Fox’s name, Thire’s name, Stone and his own flashing underneath the target. He turned them faster, seeing flashes in his own memory. Scars making sense, old pains he never knew the origin of coming to fruition, blood under his fingernails... Fox, oh gods Fox. What would he say when he saw this, he saw knew riduur, when he found out about this, he would never recover. But Thorn couldn’t betray him by not telling him.

He turned faster, seeing failed missions, coinciding to missions he’d been sent on. Punishment, I was used to punish Fox. He felt like throwing up, especially when he turned an image of one of Fox’s missions, seeing a picture of his Fox, laying on his back, eyes glazed, an agonizing electrical burn on his stomach. Thorn knew when this was the burn Thorn knew well. It happened after a mission he’d taken over for Fox. He had drugged Fox because the bastard needed some damn sleep, Thorn breathed deeply, Fox had been punished because of something he did, had been tortured because Thorn had taken initiative to give him a break.

Suddenly, Fox came into deeper color than he had been previously. Thorn was plunged into a world of red and violet instead of rose. Fox’s fear, constant fidgeting, how he would work until he physically couldn’t anymore, watched them all like a hawk, making sure every step, every breath was taken in the right direction. How Fox was always scared after he had been in Missing Hours, keeping all of them close afterwards.

Thorn ground his teeth, clenching his fists. Fox II brought him back with a tail to the face. Thorn gave Thorn a nip on his arm. Fox didn't make a sound as Thorn clutched his fur, he could feel tears running down his face but couldn’t find it in himself to wipe them.

He saw movement in the corner of his eye, but didn’t move as Doom and Monnk slowly moved towards him. He didn’t care what they did, he didn’t but couldn’t help the slight flinch as Monnk wrapped his arms around his shoulders from behind, slowly taking out the files from his clenched fists. Doom pressed their foreheads together. He couldn’t...he couldn’t move, he needed Stone or Thire.

He needed Fox.

He needed to know why Fox kept this from him, why he felt this wasn’t important for Thorn to know Thorn’s sadness and confusion turned to rage, at himself, for not noticing his best friend, his lover’s pain; angry at Fox, for his forced damned stubbornness, his extreme work ethic that left him isolated; angry at Fox’s batchmates, for leaving Fox, because there had been a time that Fox would have trusted them to tell; but mostly, he was raging at Palpatine, for using them, for being so weak to the lull of power he had to crush everyone in his way, arrogance that allowed him to hurt him and his vode. Angry that Palpatine saw fit to leave the Guard like this; to pick up the pieces of their cracked memories and broken bodies.

His body felt like he’d been dunked into Kamino’s oceans, brutal waves throwing him back and forth, plunging him in ice.

“Thorn’ika,” he barely heard, “Thorn you need to breathe.”

Thorn gasped, nothing was working like it should, memories came back with a vengeance. Blood was slowly filling the water around him, turning it thick. The screams and wailing filled his ears, slick blood slowly filled his senses and he lost himself furter, before everything went dark.

Thorn woke up much calmer than he went down. Groaning at the feeling of a stiff mattress. He looked up to see a familiar durasteel roof, he instantly knew where this was, despite not having been here in years. He felt a comforting weight on his stomach, a familiar calloused hand on his head.

“Or’ika, you gave us all a scare,” Fox whispered, and Thorn grinned sloppily,

“Screecher?”

“Biding his time,” Stone muttered, “can’t wait to see you get chewed and spat back out.”

“Woo hoo,” Thorn turned back into the cot, “if anyone asks I died on the table.”

“And risk us getting thrown into a Sarlacc, I don’t think so,” Thire cracked, there were a few confused snorts and Thorn suddenly remembered what this roof and place meant. He slowly cracked his eyes open to see the rest of the Command Squad.

Cody, Wolffe, and Bly all stood, their eyes on a Fox who was pointedly ignoring them, eyes only on Thorn.

Lock and Odd Ball were off to the side, eyes tracking Thire with longing.

Neyo and Bacara, as per usual, gave zero kriffs about the proceedings and were content to watch how everything went down.

Appo and Gregor were in a bunk, just watching, clearly curious.

Grey and Keller seemed unconcerned, like they believed everything would be fine.

Jet and Blackout, like Appo and Gregor, were just watching.

The blonde CT, with another CT Thorn didn’t recognize were staring at him. The little CT was star-struck.

His own batchmates were sitting to the side, clearly nervous.

“Boys,” Thorn greeted, “it’s been fun, but I have a busy schedule.”

Fox rolled his eyes, but understood his intent, moving the help him up. Did Thorn mention he loved that man, because he loved that man .

“Wait.” Cody held out his hand, and that’s when he noticed two unfamiliar tookas at Wolffe and his feet.

Thorn stared him down, motioning for him to continue.

“We can’t continue like this,”

“It’s how we did it while at war, we’ll be fine now,” Thire hissed.

“I-” Cody started.

“No, he’s right,” Stone spat, clearly getting irritated, “we were just fine during the war, and we’ll function perfectly.”

“You guys might,” Wolffe growled.

“If you excuse us, we have actual work to be doing,” Thire started to push his way out, intending to stop this before there was an actual confrontation.

“What’s the real reason,” Wolffe interrupted, “why don’t you guys want to interact with us?”

“I know,” Cody froze, Wolffe tensed beside him, “Palpatine had the courtesy to reorganize notes he deleted and he covered his ass to the best of his ability.”

Thorn also froze, he knew what Fox was on about. Those bastards didn’t.

“I...I don’t have an excuse…” Wolffe tucked his figurative tail between his legs for this one. Knowing stubbornness wouldn’t help either of them. Bly turned to Cody and Wolffe the rest of the CCs also looked curious.

“Yeah, you don’t,” Thorn hissed, feeling uncharacteristic anger boiling in his spine. Fox was a silent force beside him.

“That’s…”

“What. Do. You. Want.” Thorn growled, lightning shooting up his spine.

His anger must have shown, as the rest backed off slightly, instead looking at Cody and Wolffe for an explanation, both of whom remained stubbornly silent. Thorn growled,

"I'll ask you one more time, What. Do. You. Want." Thorn's cheeks were heating, feeling another string nap.

"Peace," Cody whispered, hands closing into tight fists, “the war for the Republic is over, but our own war is not, and we need each other."

"So that's what you want, our words, skills, connections; the very same skill set we were mocked for, the ones we were abandoned for... those skills?"

Thorn, contrary to popular belief, was not the Skywalker to Fox's Kenobi - he was able to handle himself in these situations, he possessed situational awareness. He understood what they wanted, what they craved, even if they did not know, there would always be the longing of brotherhood. The hope to rebuild the bridges burnt.

Cody wanted his ori'vod back, wanted calming stories during the dark, a stone to cling to in the storm, a figure to help him up when he fell down. Wolffe wanted a lost lover, someone who knew him inside and out, who could give what he needed and vice versa. Bly wanted a semblance of stability, he wanted someone to unload to, to just sit and talk to about anything and everything and would respond with kindness and advice, offer firm criticisms and assistance.

Doom wanted to go back to their times as younglings, back when Fett gave them the sham of love, before Boba came and Jango left. Monnk wanted a semblance of peace, a bed of calm waters instead of the wild hurricanes that had been spinning around him as of late. And the closest to that would be getting Thorn back.

Faie wanted a structure, he wanted to rebuild what he had, before the war shattered those delicate crystalline bonds. Gree wanted the conversation back, he wanted the freedom that nature would bring, the calm and peace of an abandoned forest. Two opposites rolling in different directions, nor having anything to avoid tipping delicate scales, Stone playing interference would bring them back, balance them out in a way they desperately needed.

Lock was a runner, always sprinting from his problems, praying they didn’t catch up, but he needed to face them and he feared what would come up. Odd Ball was a pilot, always had his head in the clouds, avoiding the obvious issues in his face, Thire’s patience and calming demeanor, an assurance to anyone they would be alright.

But, what they were more than happy to say while they were separate seems to have disappeared like Senator Clovis, but they were somewhat right. The Guard, whether they admitted it or not, was now Coruscant's, no longer Kamino’s, no longer the Vode's.

Their vode had been shaped by Kamino and the battlefield. The Guard had Lost that, almost everything they learned at Kamino was scrapped. It was why Guards were selected in the middle of cadet training, they had to recreate themselves. Learn silence, lies, and shadows. Learn to accept the chill in their hearts. Learn that you only had the brother next to you. Learn that the comfort of regulations and protocol was gone as corruption spread like a virus, infecting everyone on this force damned planet. Learn that while Jango was their father, Kamino was no longer their mother, Coruscant was, and like a parasite she would take everything you have.

Just look at them, all they had was their brothers, and Coruscant took that from them.

She shadowed Thire’s youth and light, his soft smile and light shoulder taps. His quiet reassurance and constant presence.

She took Stone’s braggadocio and imagination, how he faced every day with a dangerous smirk, twisting it to something sad and sick.

She washed out Thorn’s sense of adventure, his desire and passion, every day he could feel himself draining, as the joy of life faded to something dark and jaded and angry. Feel the lightning in his veins be replaced with something darker and sadder.

She broke Fox completely, sucked him dry of his giddiness and curiosity, his spirit, his desire to good by those around him, leaving him a bitter and tired husk, clinging desperately to the ever-snapping ropes of who he was, before he fell into a pit of loathing and sadness.

“No,” Cody said honestly, “we need to talk, all of us as a group, as vode.”

“Well, by your own admission we are not a part of the vode here,” Thire argued, “is Fox not dar manda?”

Cody flushed darkly, and his fists were gradually turning whiter. Fox broke eye contact.

“What,” Thorn taunted, “did you not mean it, is Fox really so disposable?”

“No!” Wolffe shouted, hurt and guilt and something else flashing in his eye. If years of conditioning to ‘ shut up and look down and don’t argue no matter what’ to not rip into him, Thorn wanted to. He wanted Wolffe to feel what Fox felt, even if that’s not what Fox wanted. Thorn wanted him to feel what it’s like to have your heart ground to powder, to be muzzled and trapped, too afraid to speak.

He wanted Wolffe to feel what he felt, while someone he loved was breaking and being powerless to do anything in fear of hurting them further, to feel as Thorn did, as he was.

“He’s not,” Wolffe finished, looking into Fox’s visor, “just please, we all have things to say, and we all need to talk.”

“Talk about what, how you invaded his privacy, how you did specifically what I told you not to do?”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because it was none of your business,”

“Fox is our batchmate, of course it was our business!” Wolffe growled.

“ Was, ” Thorn got in Wolffe’s face, “we was your batchmate, just like I was Doom and Monnk’s, and like Stone was Faie and Gree’s.”

Thorn saw the aforementioned vode move slightly out of the corner of his peripheral and exchanged a glance and something cracked inside him.

“What right do any of you have, to come here now, after years of mocking us, calling us useless paperwaits and babysitters, encouraging your men to mock and bash ours, slapping us down yourselves, in front of others: Jedi and Nat-born personnel! What right do you have Cody, to request peace, for us to come running back with our tails tucked in after you drove us out! You fuckers disowned Fox and by extension, us,” Thorn snarled, his hands waving wildly.

Stone stepped forward, hands on Thorn’s shoulder, guiding him back as Fox pressed a hand to the back of his neck, “we don’t have to anything, we don’t want to do anything, but we are choosing to involve you in this, we decided to make the steps, but now you are coming here, asking us to make another step, after you betrayed Fox’s, and by extension our, trust. I think we all, especially Fox, are entitled space and some grovelling.”

Thire patted Stone on the back as he huffed. Thorn lifted his chin, Wolffe seemed to break out of his stupor. The other clone narrowed his eye at Thorn and Fox; he seemed to have figured something,

“You’re fucking,” he accused.

“What does this have to do with anything?” Fox finally inserted himself, voice chilly.

Thorn starred Wolffe down dangerously, he knew that Wolffe might challenge him, and he frankly desired it. He wanted to grind the bastard into the ground and was ready, Fox was an amazing hand-to-hand combatant, and Thorn had only sparred with him for a long period of time. He’s wanted this, he craved it since the moment he read that message on the chat, since he found Fox catatonic in his office, they had long since lost tears to shed.

“Stand. Down.” Cody put Wolffe into a headlock and Fox, Thire, and Stone stepped in front of him, trapping him.

“Chill out Thorn,” Thire whispered.

“So help me gods, if you do anything stupid,” Fox growled into his ear ans Thorn lost some of the tension in his spine.

“Chakaar.” Thorn spat and Wolffe growled both looked at each other with anger. Both ready to fight it out right there,

“Enough,” Bacara spat, “you bastards can duke it out over coochie later.”

Neyo smirked while Cody loosened his grip as he laughed. The rest snorted while Thire and Stone rolled their eyes.

Fox took this as his moment to stand up, every eye was drawn to him as he projected his disappointment on all of them, stopping on Thire,

“Thire,” Thire cringed, “keep your mouth shut unless someone it’s directly impacting you.”

“Sir-,”

“Shut your face,”

“Sorry sir,”

“Stone,” Stone curled in on himself, “I’m disappointed, cut your shit and shut up because others won’t be as nice as I am.”

“Apologies sir,”

“Thorn,” Thorn stared Fox down, knowing he was in the dog house, “you need to develop an ounce of chill, get your shit together you incompetant goblin fuck.”

“Yes sir,”

“You’re on the couch tonight,”

“That’s fair sir,”

“Wolffe,” Wolffe looked like he’d been kicked, “antagonize my boys like this again and I’ll invert your rib cage, understand if you even look at Thorn or any of my boys with the intent of harm I will skin you.”

“Cody,” Cody looked at the ground, “pull yourself together and get your head out of Kenobi’s ass and get a reality check, you still can’t negotiate for shit and even if you could you can’t get yourself out of this one.”

“Grey,” Grey cocked his head, “you’re the only tolerable one in this room, keep it up.”

Thorn huffed, he loves that bastard so much . He thought dreamily, Fox’s calming yet dangerous presence felt good when it was backing you, he bet every single credit he had that Fox’s batchmates were shitting themselves, never having been standing on the opposite end of those threats.

“Thorn.” Thire snapped his figures in front of Thorn, who snapped to attention.

“We have patrol, get your shit together,” Fox sighed, and Thorn felt bad for him. He moved towards his riduur, hoping to offer some form of support, as he felt that Fox would not view any physical contact as comforting, but instead vulnerable. Thorn suddenly remembered why he had been in the barracks in the first place and turned to Fox, signing we need to talk .

Fox looked at him and nodded minutely, before giving them a pointed look.

“Sir yes sir,” the three chimed, quickly taking their leave, not making eye contact with their batchmates. Fox practically biting at their heels as they exited the barracks.

They all walked quickly back to the Guard Barracks, Fox waved Thire and Stone off. Calling out to Talon and Koi, who went out with them. Fox lead Thorn to his office, turning on the lights and sitting down. Thorn followed him, sitting down across from him.

Fox grabbed out one of his nicer stolen bottles of wine while Thorn grabbed some glasses.

“Seemed like the situation calls for some,” Fox sighed.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” Thorn blurted, looking guilty at Fox’s slightly confused expression.

Thorn realized that Fox didn’t know, hadn’t seen the files yet, “Palpatine’s files were found, we got everything.”

Fox’s breath hitched, Thorn slowly stood up and entered his security code into the datapad.

He slowly scrolled through and handed it to Fox, placing a hand on his shoulder in support. Fox’s breathing hitched slightly, his dim golden eyes moving over words, scanning picture after picture, summary and mission report. He gasped, most likely remembering as Thorn did, he moved around to stare at Fox, moving a hand to tangle in Fox’s dark hair.

“Fox’ika, haalur,” Thorn pressed kisses into Fox’s forehead.

“I...I,” Fox whimpered.

Thorn pushed the datapad to the side, pulling Fox up into a tight hug, tears running down his cheeks.

“Oh, Fox’ika,”

“M’sorry, I...I couldn’t, I can’t,” Fox stuttered, Thorn had a brief inkling of what he was on about.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Fox’ika, you didn’t do anything wrong,”

Fox collapsed on the ground, Thorn followed him. They just sat on the floor, Fox sobbed into his arms, shivering violently. He whispered into his riduur’s ear.

“I’m sorry cyar’ika, I’m so sorry,” Thorn babbled, holding Fox as close as he could.

Fox whimpered and keened. When his sobs simpered, Thorn helped him up, pulling him to stand. He supported Fox to the fresher connected to his office.

He slowly undressed himself and Fox, dragging his fingertips along the scars marring his skin. Fox’s sobs starting up again, relaxing into Thorn’s body. Lukewarm water soaked their hair, Thorn grabbed some of his nicer hair products and scrubbed it into Fox’s hair. Fox’s sobs combined with slight purrs.

Thorn pressed a small kiss onto the scars on his upper body, Fox’s cries tapered to quiet sniffles. He calmed down enough to where Thorn could press small kisses on his face. Fox held himself together long enough to kiss Thorn back.

Thorn helped Fox out, coaxing him into the back to the office, slowly lowering them into the old cot that he placed near his desk when he would physically collapse when work got too much.

Thorn pressed Fox on his chest. Fox nuzzled into his neck, scratching his hair.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Fox slurred.

“Okay,” Thorn whispered, “I’m here to talk about it when you’re ready.”

“Vor entye,” Fox responded, closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from: Blood // Water- grandson
> 
> I would once again asking for forgiveness.
> 
> Translate-  
> Vode - siblings  
> Paklalat- silver tongue, wit  
> Orar, Or'ika - thunder  
> Haalur - breathe  
> Riduur- spouse  
> Cyare- I think we all know what this means lol
> 
> I would also like to add that my Dogma-Hound call will be in a later installment, but is set in between. I think I might mess with time a bit, I'll probably have a bit of a nonlinear timeline (I have a plan of 9 parts rn, the aforementioned part is 6 on my plans so far) 😘


	5. You Gotta Face Up, You Gotta Get Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Wolffe decide after a heated argument it's time to begin to talk with Thorn and Fox. Apologies and try to make good on past events.

“What happened!” Fox burst into the room, Thire and Stone following him. Cody tried to make out what Fox was feeling by his body, as his face was covered. 

His visor turned towards Thorn’s unconscious body. And he stalked towards the bunk, kneeling besides Thorn, pressing his hand into his hair. Fox pulled him into a Keldabe Kiss, and Cody was stunned, Fox didn’t do that. He didn’t show affection like that outside of their batch.

Thorn made a small sound and groaned. Turning over to face Fox’s chest, yawning as his eyes blinked sluggishly.

“Or’ika, you gave us all a scare,” Fox whispered, and Thorn grinned sloppily at him,

“Screecher?” Sounds like a horrifying name, probably a medic.

“Biding his time,” Stone muttered, “can’t wait to see you get chewed and spat back out.”

“Woo hoo,” Thorn turned back into the cot, “if anyone asks I died on the table.”

“And risk us getting thrown into a Sarlacc, I don’t think so,” Thire cracked, there were a few confused snorts around him. Thorn slowly cracked his eyes open to see the rest of the Command Squad. 

Cody kept his eyes on Fox, even as Thorn’s flicked over him.

“Boys,” Thorn finally greeted, “it’s been fun, but I have a busy schedule.”

Fox’s shoulders slumped, but he moved to help him up all the same. 

“Wait.” Cody held out his hand, and Kote sat on his foot, he appreciated the gesture.

Thorn stared him down, motioning for him to continue, and felt vaguely insulted.

“We can’t continue like this,” 

“It’s how we did it while at war, we’ll be fine now,” Thire hissed.

“I-” Cody started.

“No, he’s right,” Stone spat, clearly getting irritated, “we were just fine during the war, and we’ll function perfectly.”

“You guys might,” Wolffe growled.

“If you excuse us, we have actual work to be doing,” Thire started to push his way out, rude . 

“What’s the real reason,” Wolffe interrupted, “why don’t you guys want to interact with us?”

“I know,” Cody froze, Wolffe tensed beside him, “Palpatine had the courtesy to reorganize notes he deleted and he covered his ass to the best of his ability.”

Thorn also froze, his eyes darkened and Cody knew he might die here.

“I...I don’t have an excuse…” Wolffe spoke. Knowing stubbornness wouldn’t help either of them. Bly turned to Cody and Wolffe the rest of the CCs also looked curious. 

“Yeah, you don’t,” Thorn spat, Fox was silent.

“That’s…”

“What. Do. You. Want.” Thorn growled, moving off the bed.

His anger was burning, filling the room with tension, he looked at Cody and Wolffe for an explanation, Cody remained silent, Wolffe as well.

"I'll ask you one more time, What. Do. You. Want." Thorn's cheeks were turning scarlet and Fox shifted next to him, looming dangerously. 

"Peace," Cody whispered, hands closing into tight fists, “the war for the Republic is over, but our own war is not, and we need each other."

"So that's what you want, our words, skills, connections; the very same skill set we were mocked for, the ones we were abandoned for... those skills?" 

Cody felt something angry rush up his spine. Thorn was right, and it hurt, they all had shit to make up for, but they needed to work together.

Cody wanted his ori'vod back, this time being so close yet so far to Fox. Knowing that he was right there but was unreachable by the likes of them. And whose fault is that?

“No,” Cody said honestly, “we need to talk, all of us as a group, as vode.”

“Well, by your own admission we are not a part of the vode here,” Thire argued, “is Fox not dar manda?”

Cody felt more heat rise, “you’re not my brother, not anymore.” Fox didn’t argue, didn’t move, just nodded and bowed out.

“What,” Thorn taunted, “did you not mean it, is Fox really so disposable?” No, I made a mistake, and I need to do something to rectify it. 

“No!” Wolffe shouted, and Cody understood, while he and Fox were relatively close, Fox and Wolffe had been inseparable, always on each other's heels, Fox was always at Wolffe’s back while Wolffe was guarding his front. Always together, never one without the other.

“He’s not,” Wolffe finished, looking deeply into Fox’s visor, longing in his eys. Thorn’s eyes narrowed at them, “just please, we all have things to say, and we all need to talk.”

“Talk about what, how you invaded his privacy, how you did specifically what I told you not to do?” 

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because it was none of your business,”

“Fox is our batchmate, of course it was our business!” Wolffe growled, Cody agreed wholeheartedly, but had to disagree, as they hadn't filled Bly in.

“ Was, ” Thorn got in Wolffe’s face, “we was your batchmate, just like I was Doom and Monnk’s, and like Stone was Faie and Gree’s.”

Thorn’s dark eyes scanned over them all with scrutiny before opening his mouth,

“What right do any of you have, to come here now, after years of mocking us, calling us useless paperwaits and babysitters, encouraging your men to mock and bash ours, slapping us down yourselves, in front of others: Jedi and Nat-born personnel! What right do you have Cody, to request peace, for us to come running back with our tails tucked in after you drove us out! You fuckers disowned Fox and by extension, us,” Thorn snarled, his hands waving wildly. Cody backed up, I did this, if I hadn’t jumped to conclusions, heard him out, this wouldn’t be happening.

Stone stepped forward, hands on Thorn’s shoulder, guiding him back to Fox, who placed a hand on Thorn’s neck as he quieted, Stone speaking up instead, “we don’t have to anything, we don’t want to do anything, but we are choosing to involve you in this, we decided to make the steps, but now you are coming here, asking us to make another step, after you betrayed Fox’s, and by extension our, trust. I think we all, especially Fox, are entitled space and some grovelling.”

Thire patted Stone on the back as he huffed. Thorn lifted his chin, Wolffe seemed to break out of his stupor. The other clone narrowed his eye at Thorn and Fox; Cody knew that look, he knew Wolffe had picked up on something that shouldn’t be mentioned and was going to mention it anyways,

“You’re fucking,” he accused. Cody reeled, he had always been shit with these things, but looking at them now, their past interactions, yeah, that wasn’t a stretch. And based on Thorn’s even more pissed off expression Wolffe wasn’t that far off.

“What does this have to do with anything?” Fox inserted himself, voice chillier than Cody had ever heard it.

Thorn starred Wolffe down dangerously, provoking him, Wolffe growled, most likely as a challenge to Thorn. Whether over Fox or for Fox, Wolffe wasn’t going to take this lightly, Fox was Wolffe’s for a long time, and while the war distracted them, Wolffe hadn’t expected Fox to move on, not that Cody would’ve either, he expected lots of ass-kissing from Wolffe and a solution, the two stronger than when they ended things.

Stand. Down.” Cody thought quickly, knowing Wolffe and Thorn getting imto a fight over Fox wouldn’t do any favors, so he put Wolffe into a headlock and Fox, Thire, and Stone stepped between them, trapping Thorn.

“Chill out Thorn,” Thire whispered.

Fox growled something into Thorn’s ear and Thorn lost some of the tension in his spine.

“Chakaar.” Thorn spat and Wolffe growled both looked at each other with anger. Both ready to fight it out right there,

“Enough,” Bacara spat, “you bastards can duke it out over coochie later.” 

Neyo smirked while Cody loosened his grip on Wolffe in amusement, cause this was this was, a stupid territory fight. The rest snorted while Thire and Stone rolled their eyes.

Fox took this as his moment to stand up, every eye was drawn to him as he projected his disappointment on all of them, stopping on Thire,

“Thire,” Thire cringed, “keep your mouth shut unless someone it’s directly impacting you.” 

“Sir-,” 

“Shut your face,”

“Sorry sir,”

“Stone, I’m disappointed, cut your shit and shut up because others won’t be as nice as I am.”

“Apologies sir,”

“Thorn,” Thorn stared Fox down, “you need to develop an ounce of chill, get your shit together you incompetant gremlin fuck.”

“Yes sir,”

“You’re on the couch tonight,”

“That’s fair sir,”

“Wolffe,” Wolffe looked like a kicked puppy, “antagonize my boys like this again and I’ll invert your rib cage, understand if you even look at Thorn or any of my boys with the intent of harm I will skin you.”

“Cody,” Cody looked at the ground, ready for his ass reaming, but knowing Fox it would be quick, “pull yourself together and get your head out of Kenobi’s ass and get a reality check, you still can’t negotiate for shit and even if you could you can’t get yourself out of this one.”

“Grey,” Grey cocked his head, “you’re the only tolerable one in this room, keep it up.”

Cody was a bit unnerved at whatever Fox's game was. Thorn made a small noise, his face softening at Fox, looking feveranly at him.

“Thorn.” Thire snapped his figures in front of Thorn, who snapped to attention. 

“We have patrol, get your shit together,” Fox sighed, and Thorn walked to Fox, not touching him, but stood next to him, offering support silently. He made a few hand signals and Fox looked at Thorn and nodded minutely, before giving them a pointed look.

“Sir yes sir,” the three chimed, quickly taking their leave, not making eye contact with their batchmates. Fox practically biting at their heels as they exited the barracks.

They all just stood there for a few minutes, slightly unsure before ever reliable Neyo, the bastard chimed, 

“Well that went fantastic,” Thank you Neyo.

“ Thank you Neyo, with such brilliant observation skills it’s a wonder you weren’t promoted to a General during the war,”

“Kriff off Faie,”

“Bite us you fucking icicle,” Gree snarled.

“I’m not into bacon heads, apologies Gree,”

“The stripe is to honor vode, vode I can at least say I give a shit about,” 

“Ha, so that wasn’t your abandoned batchmate who just got corralled out?” Bacara asked coldly.

Faie growled and Gree made an angry noise. Bacara grinned savagely and Neyo’s eyes narrowed.

“I honestly don’t get you shebs sometimes, you accuse us of being too cold, too unfeeling and yet you let your own batchmates be tortured right under your noses.”

“What are you talking about Bacara?” Bly questioned intently.

“Oh, they didn’t tell you?” Neyo asked gleefully, Bly turned to them, but Cody only had eyes for the pair in front, as did most of the room.

“Surely you all know what was happening to our illustrious guard, even before the Palpatine osik came out?”

“What. Are. You. Talking. About.” Wolffe spat, Neyo’s sharp grin widened. 

Neyo’s droid, WAC-47 rolled up with Gucci sunglasses. 

“WAC… if you please,” Neyo grumbled in warning, and the droid whirred,

“Sir yes sir.” The droid clicked, before flashing a holo. Multiple images of guardsmen flickered, several designation numbers and names flashed across the screen. 

A man by the name of Gage, CT-23-2356, died by a bullet to the head defending Senator Amidala.

Another clone named Fortitude, who had a large build, paralyzed from the waist down after being attacked by several civilians. Ended with him being decommissioned.

Mackerel or CT-0342 was decommissioned after a reported assault against a citizen. 

Gear squad was found brutally murdered in Lower Coruscant, six men, brothers found tortured to death by someone with the code name Adenn (mercilious).

Cody’s eyes scanned the images. Several missions with the guard, some HUD footage of missions. 

Then, he saw a file, written by Palpatine, Missions.Account.CC-1010.exe.

“What are those,” he gestured. 

Neyo gestured to WAC and the file was opened. Several missions appeared. Multiple pictures of what appeared to be targets, based on the TERMINATED underneath them. 

A link to HUD footage appeared, they all exchanged a look and WAC clicked it.

“No...do-.” Fox seemed to be sitting across a building, a rifle in his hand, his HUD was looking into a room, a man talking to a woman, both seemed nervous.

Fox started to move, slowly jumping on the thin ledge, and landing on the floor below. The camera shook as he slunk underneath. There was a small crash and Fox’s HUD blurred and a shot was fired.

“-top! Please...leave...g-get back-,” 

Fox’s breathing increased. And the face of a panicked woman appeared, Fox didn’t hesitate as he shot her in the head, quickly putting one of his hand guns into her hands as she dropped to the floor. 

The footage blurred as Fox groaned, something appeared into his HUD.

Mission.038-03.COMPLETE.Target 010-23:TERMINATED|Target 010-24:TERMINATED.

Return.Home.Office.

Memory.CC-1010.Delete (Y/N)

Y…

Memory.Deleted:Saved-MF1010.

Fox’s HUD blackened before reappearing into his office. Fox’s hands were shaking slightly.

Chancellor Palpatine appeared in front, his hand lifting Fox’s chin to look up at him.

“Well done CC-1010, your mission was successful,” The Chancellor croaked, “you were not involved with the death of Senator Neki and his wife, you were protecting them from an assassination before you were shot by Senator Neki’s wife.” 

“I was...I was not involved with the death of Senator Neki and his wife. I was protecting them from an assissnation before I was shot by Senator Neki’s wife,” Fox said dryly, his voice devoid. 

“Hmm, it would seem you’re uninjured, shoot your leg to make your way back to work,” The Chancellor murmured in Fox’s ear. Cody felt a chill run down his spine, Fox wouldn’t, he wouldn’t shoot himself.

Cody was wrong, he winced as Fox took out his blaster and shot himself in his leg, not a sound of pain as his leg shook, skin blackened. 

“Good Commander,” The Chancellor mocked, “now be on your way.” 

“Thank you Chancellor Palpatine.” Fox said dryly, moving to stand up, limping away. 

Cody hated this, he was pissed. Fox and the Corries were supposed to have it easy, they were supposed to be sluggish and lazy and glorified paper weights. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“I think we’re all done for the night,”

“Yeah…”

Instead of the piles they made over the past week. They all decided to sleep in their own bunks, all knowing that night wasn’t appropriate to be together. 

_________________________________________

“Up!” Wolffe groaned. 

“Noo,” 

“You bitches have work...you know, with Fox.” Cody turned over into his bed further.

“Noooo,” Cody mumbled, but the thin pillow over his ears.

“Up!” And suddenly Cody was thrown off his bunk. He heard Wolffe grunt beside him. 

Cody slowly sat up, very disoriented. Slowly pulling himself up, standing and looking over at his brothers. They were all tired, no doubt still reeling. 

He saw Gree and Faie both had shadows, clearly having stayed up all night looking over case files. 

Doom’s knuckles were split, dark red spots peaking through the bandaids. Monnk was rewrapping Doom’s hand, grief wrapped around him.

Lock and Odd Ball were just laying in their bunk, wrapped around each other, no doubt grieving over their brother. 

Bly was looking at them, dark shadows darkening his eyes and underneath them. He seemed to have also stayed up looking at the files. He walked up to them slowly and pressed them both into a Keldabe Kiss. 

“Don’t fuck this up, apologise and move on,” he whispered.

Cody nodded, looking at his brother and his eyes widened, next to Bly was Ponds, watching them with pale dead eyes.

Gods Ponds would be so disappointed. He had been disappointed, he remembered the scolding Wolffe had received after his message. 

“Where’s your sense of brotherhood. He’s our batchmate for kriffs sake!” Ponds shouted in rage. 

“Where’s your sense of pride! He’s senate scum, he is barely human much less a droid!” 

“Is that what you really think? That Fox would betray us?”

“He already did,” Cody had growled, “he left me and my men in the dust when Kenobi was ‘dead’!” 

“Do you really believe that they tell him anything?” 

“Who cares, he’s fecking Fox. His name means that he’s supposed to be smart, his position means he’s supposed to read between the lines,”

“Even if he did-”

“Just shut up, none of us want to hear about this anymore,”

“Yeah Fox is a bastard, let’s just accept it and move on,” Wolffe growled.

“-ody!” Bly’s voice shouted, “Cody, you have shit.”

“Get ready, you guys have work,”

Cody sighed, just pulling on a clean pair of Grays.

“Guys,” Grey shouted, “don’t fuck this up.”

“They’ll do their best, won’t they?” Bly asked, voice edging dangerously. 

“We’ll do our best,” Cody sighed, elbowing Wolffe who snarled but nodded.

Both moved out, slowly moving to the Senate Building. 

“We’re going to fuck this up,” Cody whispered nervously. 

“Yeah, most likely,” Wolffe growled.

“We’ll do our best, right?”

“Of course,” Wolffe said stubbornly. 

“And we won’t challenge Thorn over anything retaining to Fox?” Cody edged, needing this to be stated. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wolffe stated, eye darkening and hands clenching.

“Wolffe.” Cody whirled in front of his brother.

“I won’t fight Thorn so long as he doesn’t say anything stupid,” Wolffe finally finished.

“You won’t fight Thorn over anything at all, no matter what.” Cody hissed, finally moving out of Wolffe’s way. 

“Fine, but if he tries to fight me first it's fair game,”

“So help me Wolffe, I will let Fox go about inverting your ribcage and just watch, might even loan them my knife,” 

“Fine, I understand. I won’t fight Thorn,”

“Please Wolffe, you’ll only make things worse,”

“I get it, I get it, I solemnly swear not to be a dumbass,”

Cody sighed, knowing that was the closest this would be to a promise of peace. They made the rest of their journey in silence, stopping in front of the door, hearing mumbling from the other side. Exchanging a look, Cody knocked.

“Come in,” Thorn growled from the other side.

Both stepped in the office, Thorn was hovering over a sitting Fox, Fox was pressed back into him, head cradled in Thorn’s shoulder. Both were watching them warily, eyes tracking their every movement. Thorn gave Wolffe a dark look while pressing his chin into his hair, clearly staking his claim. 

Cody tapped Wolffe’s shin with his foot, conveying his threat clearly. Wolffe sighed roughly. 

Both sat down across, Fox was pointedly avoiding eye contact. His eye bags darker than they had been a few days before, hair longer and skin paler. Face grimmer, his hands trembled as he moved a form to Thorn. 

“M sorry,” Cody blurted. 

Thorn and Fox looked slightly surprised. Both stopped their paperwork and just stared before Wolffe continued.

“What?” Fox breathed. 

“I’m sorry, we fucked up, and we don’t expect forgiveness, but we do apologise.” Wolffe shifted, Cody felt slightly proud, he once knew a Wolffe who would literally rather be burnt alive than apologise. 

Fox sat back, clearly thinking the same thing. Both Wolffe and Cody were extremely stubborn. Cody knew that he and Wolffe sometimes had their issues over this, and he knew that Fox knew this as well. So Cody understood, so he sat next to Wolffe waiting for their response. 

“Thank you…” Fox whispered, “and I accept your apologies…” 

Fox trailed, looking nervous and Cody took a moment to truly look at him. He watched how formerly bright whiskey eyes were dulled and darkened. Fox’s straight nose had been broken, crooked and his dark hair he used to keep regulation cut was a tad longer, sticking to his forehead nearly reaching his eyes. He looked sick, pale and tired and it hurt Cody.

This was his ori’vod. The brother who raised him, one of the oldest in the CC squad. 

The man who used to hug him and pressed kisses into Kote’s temple. Who always had a kind smile and praise for him no matter what he did, despite how much he disagreed. Who used to laugh, no cackle at the stupidest jokes that Cody could pull out of his shebs. 

Who would watch over Wolffe, talk him down when he refused to be tamed, stay at his side as a constant force that equaled Wolffe’s wildness with his order. They always had been two sides of the same stubborn coin, always at each others’ backs.

Who always made time for Bly, listened to anything he had to say and would always offer council to the best of his ability. Never any judgment, only another perspective.

Who would always smile and sit with Ponds while he stewed, too upset and vulnerable to say anything, offering support and silence, a kind hand on his shoulder. 

Who stuck up for Cody when he first bought-cadet-knapped-Rex into their tight fold. Who looked at Buir with matching intensity, the look that this blonde mutie was theirs now, and nothing would change.

Fox, who always knew what others needed of him, and was more than willing to mirror whatever role that was necessary for him to play. Cody felt his stomach drop, knowing that Fox easily placed himself as the villain, most likely thinking it was what was best for them, when it was so obviously not. 

Fox, who probably wouldn’t ever forgive or even want them in his life again, but would allow them because it's what would make them happy, even if it cost him his own.

Cody for once, felt grateful for Thorn. While he couldn’t really ever see Fox with anyone but Wolffe at his side, Thorn would keep Fox safe. Keep him in check, let Fox be selfish with himself and his happiness. He, despite not knowing why, knew that Thorn would keep Fox safe. 

And Thorn’s scrutinizing glare proved that. He knew that they would probably be on thin ice for years with the other commander. Batchmates never took slights against their own, it was the rule of Kamino, and was the rule of the vode. 

But they were all different now. The battlefield had changed them all, ties that had once been devoted to only batchmates had been extended to not just CTs, but other CC’s.

It was time for these things to fade, Cody decided. Too many lines had been drawn amongst themselves. It was time to move on, time to change their course if they wanted to make it to land and not drown.

Sink or swim, and right now they would have to make peace or they would all sink. 

Cody slowly stood up, knowing that this wouldn’t fix everything, but would be a start. He ambled over to Fox, Thorn bared his teeth and Fox looked apprehensive. 

He pulled Fox into a hug. 

Fox’s breath hitched in Cody’s neck, and slowly began to return the hug. He felt Wolffe come up behind his, and joined the hug.

Cody made eye contact with Thorn, who had backed off. Thorn’s bright golden eyes stared him down, his threat clear, hurt him and I’ll tear you to shreds.

He nodded, understanding the threat and acknowledging the potential consequences that would occur.

He pressed his face into Fox’s shoulder and Cody made himself a similar promise that they would make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from I'm So Sorry - Imagine Dragons
> 
> Please leave comments on shit I should do, I have a basic idea of what I want after this, dealing with culture clashes and integration... but I want more back story, so... if anyone has any ideas to trade I'm game 😁


	6. But Still We Laugh, We Cry, We Fall, We Get High, Just Like We Were Kids, Just Like We Were Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An initiation, the Guard are offering, another step forward the other commanders think. What they don't know is how Guard Shinies are initiated, and boy are they about to find out.
> 
> Based off this wonderful comment by Foxi (to whom I tried to dedicate this fic to but it went to anther account but just know thank you so much) and I my complete lack of self-control:
> 
> "Also, rooftop tag? With the Coruscant Guard? You better believe it. They will jump from skyscraper from skyscraper and laugh while doing it and will voluntarily jump OFF them as well. Simply because it is fun for them."  
> And this one too:  
> "I would pay you with my life just to read this. Please"
> 
> So I have spawned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No actual Tookas here, I would like to apologise (they just didn't fit and I really wanted to givee Doom and Monnk one and have them name it after their respective Jedi cause they would but it didn't fit and gahh i'm so sorry.)
> 
> I'm debating on how I should go with Neyo, I do slightly ship Neyo and Bacara as total saltmates but I also really like FoundationProject's Vaughn x Neyo for sweet and absolutely sour (but I also ship Codex so if I but Vaughn with Neyo then I should probs do Rexcara and Codywan so idk what will happen with that)

He nodded, understanding the threat and acknowledging the potential consequences that would occur.

He pressed his face into Fox’s shoulder and Cody made himself a similar promise that they would make things right.

The Corries were all looking at them smugly, as if telling them to meet them on the roof for an initiation wasn't sketchy as hell. 

“I’m sorry what?” Rex blurted.

“Shiny initiation,” Thire said, “we’re doing it, and all you bastards are shinies to us so you’re being initiated.”

“We’re all far from shinies,” Bacara hissed indignantly. 

“Scared,” Thorn scoffed, “...shiny?”

“Kriff you how bad can it be?” Neyo said.

The guardsmen all exchanged a look of excitement and Doom felt a foreboding sense of... doom.

“Let’s go then.” Stone stated and proceeded to walk out.

“Well, you heard the man,” Thorn cracked his knuckles. 

The guard all strutted out, Fox at the head and they all exchanged a look, 

“Don’t bring your buckets!” Thire’s shout rang.

Cody sighed, ever the leader he made his way out first, his batchmates following in his footsteps. They all looked at each other and slowly walked out, silently praying that whatever this was wasn’t an assissnation plot.

All of them walked out and watched as the guard quickly scaled the building across from the barracks, never a foot out of place. They moved so quickly it seemed easy. Neyo gave them a look before he and Bacara quickly made moves to follow them.

Doom couldn’t resist barking a laugh as Neyo immediately slid down the drainage pipe he was attempting to climb. And the laughter spread as Barara got stuck between a window sill and another perch.

“You guys need help?” Vaughn asked sweetly, Bacara snarled at him but Neyo weirdly didn’t say anything, ice in his eyes softening. 

“There are stairs to the side if you ladies would be so inclined.” They all looked above them to see Stone perched on a street lamp directly above them. Doom felt slightly concerned and he could tell Gree and Faie were also worried for their batchmate, but not about to shake the tentative ground they were on.

Thorn appeared right next to Bacara, prying his hands off the ledge he was desperately trying to hold onto. As he was in free fall Fox grabbed his leg, suspending the Marine upside down. 

“Ge’ff me,” Bacara snarled, trying to sit up so he could scratch at Fox.

Instead, Fox dropped him. Bacara rolled down and rebalanced himself, flushing slightly. 

“Take the damn stairs,” Fox scoffed. 

Doom was getting even more concerned for his batchmate’s cyare. Which reminded him that Fox would need a talking to about potential consequences when they all got on again. 

The Corries moved deftly between the buildings while they quickly climbed the stairs. 

By the time they all crowded in the front the Corries were all lounging.

Thire seemed to be telling an elaborate story that involved various hand gestures. The others were watching with amusement. 

“So, how do you plan on initiating us?” Bacara questioned. 

“Funny you should ask.” Thorn said, the others standing up behind, “an initiation is a fickle matter, one that is extremely complicated and tedious, it shows what a trooper is capable of, what they can handle. It gives one an idea for if they can truly handle the life of a guard, a life of a man, for example…” 

Thorn kicked Fox off the roof. From the top of the skyscraper. Fox was kicked. Fox was gone from sight. From a high place. In heavy armor. He was kriffing gone. And he didn’t make a sound. He didn’t even look surprised or nervous. He knew that this was probably knew this was coming. Sith hell’s. 

Doom was frozen, they all were. And then, to add insult to injury, Thorn dropped off the side too shouting with joy, Thire did a dramatic hand spring and gave an excited shriek and Stone just sighed and walked off the edge. 

Did those bastards just commit suicide right in front of us. 

That thought rang around all of them as a noise from Bly broke them out of their stupor. 

Cody was stock still, his entire body tense. Rex looked sick, no doubt planning to get Torrent off this planet before they tried this osik. Bly was similarly horrified, his jaw was open and Doom was nervous that something was going to fly into it. Wolffe looked like he was going to piss himself, hands shaking.

Bacara’s eyes widened ever-so-slightly, mouth twitching downwards. Which was Bacara for absolute morbid interest. Neyo on the other hand looked almost...impressed? His cold eyes narrowed with interest. Vaughn was clutching Neyo’s arm, eyes widened in barely concealed horror. 

Appo looked stunned, as if he wasn’t sure what actually happened. Gregor was in Appo’s boat, both batchmates stuck in similar shock.

Faie looked interested. Which wasn’t too much to say considering Quinlan’s chaos, it was no doubt jumping off a building wasn’t anything new. Gree on the other hand, looked curious but mildly concerned. 

Blackout looked afraid, whether it be for the Corries or what would happen to them...Doom didn’t know. Jet was also terrified and ruffled. Grey just looked disappointed, as if they were CT’s who had been causing mischief, not full grown ARCs who were baiting them to jump off a building. 

Monnk sat down, closing his eyes and breathed deeply. Doom knew his foreboding feeling of... Doom.

Lock was throwing up in the background and Doom didn’t blame him. Odd ball, finally spoke up,

“What in sith hells?”

“I don’t know Odd Ball, don’t you find this shit fun?”

“Guys I at least have a seat belt and a parachute and an enclosed ship. These bastards just jumped off a building with several pounds of armor and only a steel rope! ” 

Doom was about to have an aneurysm before he heard stifled giggling. He whirled around with the rest of the command squad to see the Corries on a building behind them. Thire was on his hands, walking around on them, Fox was crouched on a very thin ledge about a hundred foot free fall while Thorn and Stone were doing draped across window sills that looked like they could barely support them.

“Whoever goes first gets a free hour of no surveillance.” Fox challenged, sliding off the ledge to hand only by his fingers. Five fingers were the only barrier between a very painful death from a several click drop . He suavely flipped himself over, so his back was now facing Thorn before bending back in a true show of impossible flexibility and sheer balls. Hanging by his calves, he leant down to press a kiss to Thorn’s cheek, who laughed and Doom’s heart hurt.

It had been a long time since he’d Thorn laugh, the familiarity and security that they’d had as cadets. Doom missed it, he’d missed his brothers. He was grateful in the kinship he’d had between Tiplar and Tiplee, perhaps the further budding relationship between him and Tiplar. But he missed the life he had with his vode. He hated Kamino and the Kamanii don’t get him wrong...but he missed the days when he had all of his little brothers safe in his arms. He missed eating with Monnk, joking with Thorn, playing tag with 34’ or wrestling with Flip.

Thorn was so distant. Doom respected and understood his reasons, supported them, he hadn’t been the best of brothers. And their constant belittling of Fox and the Guard would be rightfully viewed as an insult against him. 

Thorn had always been easy-going but still very hard headed. Doom knew that even if Thorn wanted reconnection he’d be against it by mere principle and out of stubbornness. And Doom was prepared to wait.

He looked back to the foreboding edge before he heard a yelp and Bacara was falling.

“Oh no,” Thorn said, appearing next to him, kicking Jet in the back of his knee, causing it to lock up and he tipped forward, “looks like my foot slipped, silly me.”

Fox cackled beside him before shoving Bly into Wolffe, causing them to move into Rex who tried to grab Cody, dragging him down as the four fell. Fox dropped down, taking Neyo’s ankle with him.

Thire just walked up to a nervous Vaughn, “apologies brother, I actually liked you.” and nudged him off balance with his finger. He then jumped and wrapped his arms around Odd Ball, holding onto him to propel his legs into Lock, locking his legs around his neck before twisting to take both of his screaming batchmates down. 

Faie seemed to see Stone stalking for his kill, so he took initiative and just dropped, Bacara doing the same to save himself the dignity his batchmate had lost by Fox, Gree was not as fast, neither was Grey or Blackout. Stone grabbed Gree’s collar and threw him off the side, before grabbing Grey and Blackout’s ankles respectively and taking them down. 

Monnk shrieked next to him, then Appo, and suddenly Doom was falling. Thorn was roaring with laughter next to them, jumping down by window sills. 

Oh gods this is it, I was murdered by the Corries, those bastards kriffing were out for us all along-

Something caught them. Something light and slightly unstable caught them. Doom almost sobbed with joy and relief at the sight of the net underneath him. 

“See, it wasn’t too bad.” Thire joked, landing on a ledge next to them.

“This isn’t even close to what we do with our actual shinies,” Stone mumbled.

Thorn snorted and Fox scoffed, both commanders were wrestling like nat-born children, tussling on thin roof ledges that barely seemed to be able to hold one clone, let alone two active ones.

Stone made a noise as they moved into his space, one foot caught his ankle, taking him down.

Thire broke down in a fit of choked giggles, causing Stone to grab him. The four looked...happy. Younger. 

Doom hadn’t seen Fox like this in years, the permanent crease that had made residence in his brow long before the war had faded as the crows feet in his smile appeared with an excited keen from his throat. Thorn was also smiling, a grin stretched across his face, deep laughter that came from his chest as he threw Fox onto another ledge. 

Stone wasn’t laughing, he never really did, wasn’t the type. But he was smiling, deep rumbles of amusement form his chest as he moved and fought off Thire’s quick hands. Thire was shrieking with laughter, both his body and mirth dancing around, light steps in somehow heavy armor.

Their happiness was infectious, it had been so long since they were together like this. Doom and the others found themselves howling with laughter. Even permanent sneer was taken from Neyo’s face, looking as if Priest had never gotten to him, smiling next to Bacara as they started a small slap fight between them, for once no malice or intent to kill in order to show their strange affection. 

Fox slipped out of Thorn’s hold, accidentally grabbing Cody and tacking him off the side of the safety net and a few feet down to the ground. He stopped, frozen. 

A beat.

He looked slightly nervous at the Cody’s reaction before Cody gave him a sharp grin and dove at him, rolling to the ground with his oldest brother.

That seemed like the silent signal, a barrier shattered as Thire moved down to close to Lock, who pulled him into Odd Ball, and the group all fell, Grey and Jet joined in the fray. 

Soon, they were all a pile of Command Squad, adrenaline of the fall leaving them all too spent to do more than a light slap fight and some weak floor tussling. 

Doom found himself near what appeared to be Gree’s foot and his hip level with Thire’s head. He felt content. Somehow, this dirty floor in a random part on one of what he was finding out to be a quite dangerous planet, he was peaceful. He found he could die within the next second and he would be fine, as he had all his brothers with him, laughing and happy like they had been kids again, and not the jaded adults they were. 

He heard a small snort and groan. He was worried for a second, slightly fearful that whatever had happened would fade, and they’d all go back to the cold pleasantries and distant conversations. He slowly sat up and saw the others do it as well.

They all just stared. Knowing they had all crossed that line together but unsure where to go next. Change was happening, here and now. Just as it was in the Senate. 

This was an opportunity, one that Doom and the others would not throw away lightly. The guard gave them a piece of themselves. Showed them something they enjoyed, something they did amongst themselves and now it was their turn to make the next step.

“Have you ever done a Toss Up?” Rex blurted.

“A what?” Thire asked.

“A Toss Up, it’s when a Jedi randomly just, throws you with the Force...it’s a terrible and adrenaline rushing experience, Fives and Hardcase have Commander Tano do it for fun, but General Skywalker would do it mid-battle and it- my life flashed before my eyes I swear,” Rex rushed through his explanation.

“That sounds horrifying, from some salvaged memories, er- I think Palpatine would force choke or throw us occasionally,” Thire awkwardly said, “I think Fox was once force thrown off a building by Ventress.”

“Oh, yeah, and then you didn’t go to medical and I found passed out in your office bleeding all over your paperwork,” Thorn chimed, sounding sweetly angry. 

“I have no clue what you’re on about,” Fox huffed, “but yeah, we’ve been Force thrown into various office supplies, can’t say it was any fun though.”

Rex shuffled awkwardly and Fox suddenly flushed, “sorry, I don’t think that was your intention with that comment.”

“Erm…” Rex trailed and Cody picked up, 

“What about the Bomb Game?”

“The what-game?” Thorn asked, curious.

“It’s a thing the two-twelth do, a random object from the mess is picked up by the trooper and we shout that whatever trooper’s name has a bomb and then said object is thrown around for exactly two minutes. Who ever is stuck with it has latrine duty,” 

Stone made an amused noise, Thire broke down in a fit of giggles and Fox looked fond.

“We do tag-”

“We all do it?” Monnk started.

“No like, on the roofs. It’s like a high stakes tag thousands of feet in the air with nothing but a grappling hook and wit. It’s just an hour of us running around for ’patrol’,”

“We also have Fox Hunting,” Thorn butted in and Fox groaned dramatically. 

“Fox...hunting?” Bly asked.

“It’s when our lovely di’kut doesn’t sleep for an extended period of time-” Thorn was stopped when Fox pinned him to the floor, covering his mouth with his hand.

“And we chase him around with hypos, typically for the better part of an hour because Fox passes out while he’s curled up in whatever hiding place he makes for himself and it takes a bit to find him.” Stone finished.

“That sounds like a good time.” Gree laughed and Stone's lips twitched in a smile at his batchmate.

“We had Sentence,” Bacara attempted, “it’s something the Novas and I do on particularly long deployments in the middle of nowhere. Someone says a category and we come up with random words to make up a potential Seperestist plan.”

“And we had Filler, where we had a scenario and had to come up with the strangest potential outcome,” Neyo tried, hesitant at giving a piece of himself, chipping at his ice.

“So, like I could say, ‘General Grievous approaches,’ and you all would say an odd outcome.”

“Like: General Grievous approaches and steals my apple crisps?” Vaughn asked and Neyo nodded.

“General Grievous approaches with a sack of buttholes!” Lock shouted.

“General Grievous approaches to steal Bly’s virginity,” Wolffe shrieked.

“General Grievous approaches to stab Wolffe for being an asshole,” Bly hissed back.

“General Grievous approaches and reveals that he was General Yoda the whole time,”

“General Grievous approaches to lick my delicious asshole,” Thorn commented suavly, arms around Fox, giving Doom a wink.

They all delved into fits of more laughter and Doom felt they weren’t completely doomed, the fall gave them all higher hopes for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Kids Again- Artist vs Poet (which I highly recommend listening to while reading this, it certainly made writing this more fun)
> 
> I'm trying to figure out how they would all play cards against humanity (Omg can y'all imagine Space Cards Against Humanity)
> 
> MOONWATCHER made this excellent video, 10/10 would recommend watching it   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYqGOMyBUhk


	7. I Wanna Throw My Hands in the Air and Scream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fox and squad begin to deal with the political side of the discussion. They continue to make talk on potential living situations for the clones. Watch these bastards deal with eachother, the other guards, and a guard ritual dealing with the aftermath of the Zillo Beast, Cad Bane, and the bomb threats.

They all delved into fits of more laughter and Doom felt they weren’t completely doomed, the fall gave them all higher hopes for the future.

-

Fox sat down at his desk. He briefly skimmed a few drafts that had been submitted by Cody and Wolffe. 

He sighed, flipping the page over a jotting down a few notes. Fox II had been stretched out next to him, making an occasional noise to remind Fox that the tooka was still here, and that he wanted attention.

Like now, Fox II made a soft whine and Fox couldn’t help the little smile as he moved his right hand over to scratch the tooka’s large ears.

“Remind you of anyone?” Thorn approached him from behind, wrapping his arms around his shoulders tightly and Fox remembered the night. He leaned back and buried his face in Thorn’s shoulder, enjoying the contact he had never been accustomed to due to Palpatine’s sick possessive desire to have him to himself.

“Yes, Thire gets really needy after being ignored for a period of time,”

Thorn hummed, pressing a kiss to his crown. Fox smiles weakly as he nudged Thorn with his head, before moving back to his work.

“Watcha doing?” 

“Finishing some final drafts, sending it to Cody and Wolffe-”

Thorn frowned at Wolffe’s name, quickly covering it up and Fox sighed,

“Orar…” 

“He hurt you,” Thorn hissed, tightening his hold.

“If we held onto every time someone hurt us we’d be doing this all alone. I hurt you once, and yet you’re one of my closest friends and my riduur.” Fox squeezed his hand.

“That w’s different,” Thorn mumbled, “you had been hurt by him , you were recovering and I was being insensitive.”

“You didn’t know,”

“If I had, I would have killed him, consequences be damned,” Thorn growled.

“And then I would have been alone, and Thire and Stone would lose their ori’vod and Hound and your entire battalion would be liquidated and Thire would be thrust into a position he was not prepared for,” Fox placated.

Thorn grunted and Fox knew he’d won. He leaned up and gave Thorn a light kiss on the underside of his chin before turning back to his work.

“Call Wolffe and Cody, play nice.” Fox warned, making a quick note of a suggestion Neyo surprisingly had made. 

“Fine,”

Fox rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, just turned back to his work.

“Neyo? Really?” Thorn asked incredulously, “I didn’t know that he had a taste for this shit.’

“He’s always been clever with his words.” Fox recalled and Thorn nodded in agreement, ‘ granted,’ Fox thought, ‘he’s words were always cold too.’

“I still never would’ve thought that he would suggest,” Thorn huffed.

“Honestly, this isn’t to out of the ordinary for him,” 

“You think we should try it?” 

“To get back at the Kaminii, yeah,” Fox agreed pettily. 

Thorn made a noncommittal noise before pulling at Fox’s sleeve, “up.”

Fox groaned before going to stand up, and they made their way to the barracks. He smiled to see Thire and Stone laying down in their respected bunks.

Fox threw himself on the bunk, Thorn lay down next to him. Fox closed his eyes when Thire rubbed his arm and almost melted into the bed when Thorn scratched his hair. 

Stone smiled and his tooka lay across the bunk. Thire II was draped across the bunk with Thorn II. Both tookas grumbled when Fox’s mini jumped between them, settling in. They all snorted.

“You hear that Cody and Wolffe got their own minis?” 

“Where did you hear that?”

“Vaughn,”

“The other CT?”

“Yeah, we went through ARC training together, a good kid with his head on his shoulders,”

“Meh, it’s probably gone, I heard from Faie who heard from Bacara who heard from Neyo that he was part of the 332nd that branched off the 501st,”

“For Tano, right?”

“Yeah,” 

“Poor bastard,” 

“Heh,” 

They all just lay in comfortable silence for a bit, Thorn scratching his hair while Fox was messaging Thire’s wrist. Stone had his ankle on Thire’s back, his other was on Fox’s shoulder. Thire was resting his head on Thorn’s shoulder between him and Fox.

All of them were laying, there was no noise besides the occasional purrs of content tookas and their own breathing. 

A few hours later Fox woke up in a panic, oh gods who was next to him, please be Thorn, please gods let it be Thorn and not him. 

Fox moved sharply, getting whatever was on him off, and rolled to the side of the bed, relief quenching the panic in his spine as he saw his squadmates.

Thorn groaned loudly and Stone made an annoyed grumble. Thire yawned squeakily and stretched. Stone II hissed slightly and Thorn II pawed at his face.

Fox groaned and flopped back down in relief, half on top of Thire.

“You're crushing me,” Thire pushed at his back.

“Can’t, muscles are broken, gravity is increasing on me,” Fox panted, trying his best to forget memories through humor and annoying his vode, putting more weight on a struggling Thire. 

Thorn snorted and Stone chuckled. Thire grumbled, and Fox finally took pity on his kih’vod and rolled to the side and made a dramatic sound. 

“Freedom!” Thire shrieked and they all broke into a fit of giggles. They all slumped down for another few minutes, relaxing together. Fox smiled slightly, enjoying warmth he’d longed for, the contact he’d been denied by him. 

Fox moved over to press his nose into Stone’s thigh and Thorn scratched his hair. Fox finally rolled out of the bunk, dropping on the floor with a thump. 

Thorn gave a small laugh and Fox wheezed from the floor. 

He stood up and shook his head, Thorn also sighed and stood up. Stretching loudly and Fox took a moment to check out his riduur’s figure. 

Thorn noticed and flexed and Fox felt his cheeks heat. He winked and Fox’s whole body felt like it was on fire.

“Disgusting. Get a room,”

“I’m in charge of this guard,” Fox hissed, focusing on Thire.

“So, I’m in charge of Temple Security, and you don’t see me having sex in the Temple Library,” 

“Oh gods can you imagine,” Stone murmured.

“Who’s Thire gonna do the do with?” Thorn jostled.

“Bitch, I wasn’t the hopeless romantic pining after my boss while he was in a relationship,”

“Aww, babe... you had a crush on me?” Fox jeered, feeling something flutter at Thire’s words and Thorn’s embarrassed flush, “that must be so embarrassing.” 

“We’re literally married I don’t know what you’re on,” 

Fox barked and Thorn laughed. Stone also slunk out of the bed and Thire shuffled clumsily. 

They all walked, they all moved through familiar halls of the Senate building, for once not stared down in scrutiny by Senators, granted, they were being glared at by some of the more asshole Senators.

“Dicks.” Thire whispered and Fox’s lip twitched. 

“Oh gods imagine Wolffe and Cody with this?” 

“Wolffe bites Moore, Cody dropkicks O’nki, we all get arrested and executed for treason,”

“Goodness yes,” Stone moaned wistfully. 

“Death, yes please.” Thorn opened the door to Fox’s office.

Fox rolled his eyes, “mood.”

They all walked into Fox’s office, slightly surprised at Wolffe and Cody sitting in their seats. Fox was slightly surprised that they were there now, he’d expected them to have slept in and come back later.

“Commanders,” Thire greeted first, both Cody and Wolffe nodded in acknowledgment. Fox elbowed Thorn lightly and gave him a look that he hoped to convey that he shut the fuck up.

Thorn made a noise but stalked with his head held up high. Fox rolled his eyes and padded in beside him. Both Thire and Stone made their way forward and Fox wished that was him.

“Cody, Wolffe,” Fox nodded. 

“Fox, Thorn,” Cody responded, concentrating on the forms in front of him, “so, Kamino.”

“It does sound like a grand idea,” Thorn growled.

“And certainly the best one to get back at the Kaminii,”

“True,”

Fox rolled his eyes, and noticed the speckled golden tooka under the table and crouched down, “who’s this?”

“That’s Kote,” Wolffe said smugly, “the grey one is Wolffe.”

“Creative,” Thorn chided.

“You fuckwits named your tookas Fox and Thorn ,” Wolffe snarled.

“Fair,” Fox interrupted Thorn’s no doubt smart reply. 

Wolffe and Thorn stared eachother down and Fox internally sobbed, Kote made an annoyed sound. He thought they had gotten over this by now but no. They had to act like petty cadets.

“What are we thinking,”

“Obviously, basic rights of sentients,” Cody nodded, similarly annoyed with Wolffe and Thorn’s rancar shit, “discussion of dissolving the GAR will be prevalent, as well as our own Senator and form of governing body.”

Fox nodded, “basic settlement will probably be up for discussion.”

“I thought we were thinking Kamino?”

“Neyo suggested Kamino because he’s petty and he gets sexual gratification from annoying others,” Fox turned his page, “we’ll need an actual reason to settle on Kamino.”

Cody yawned, stretching and smiled, “there’s always the fact that it is home .”

“Heh, home ,” Wolffe snarked.

“We were created there, we grew up there, almost everything we have ever learned was there,” Thorn sniped.

“That doesn’t make it home ,”

“But it is a place where we can live,”

“And the Kaminoans would be pissed ,” 

Cody looked over at Wolffe, “we also won’t have to risk younger cadets.”

Fox nodded, thinking out loud, “moving everyone back will also cause decantment tanks to be removed to make space for returning troopers.”

“What about the troopers who don’t return?”

“Then they don’t, Battle Etiquette 101: we need a home base,” Fox hummed.

“And remodeling as well as taking out decommission, recondition, organ regrowth and harvesting rooms, we’ll commission proper living areas,”

“What about those who don’t want to live on Kamino?”

“Hopefully by then, we’ll be recognized by citizens of the Republic,” 

Fox sighed, petting Kote as the tooka purred loudly. He saw Fox II creep into the room, jumping into Thorn’s arms. Thorn smiled as Fox II arched into his hand. Wolffe II was in Wolffe’s arms, looking at Fox II and Fox felt something pick at his heart.

He knew that he would never fully get over Wolffe, it was something he accepted. He knew that his heart would always drop when his former cyare was near, feel the heat when he spoke, feel the laughter every time he made a sarcastic quip.

But he loved Thorn, his riduur, his kar’ta. The giddy feeling of running through the city with him at his side, the butterflies in his stomach when Thorn gave him a sultry look, the freedom that Thorn gave him, the right to feel selfish, to laugh and cry and scream and hit and love. Thorn had given him life again, and Fox would never choose anyone over him, Fett could strut his bitchy-ass down from the Manda and outright demand that Fox leave Thorn and Fox would spit in his face and tell him to fuck off (he’d probably say it no matter what he’d told him, Prime had always been an ass and deserved such treatment now that Fox was as big as he was and no longer a sniviling cadet).

“Fox,” 

“Hmm,” Fox perked back up.

“The dissolution of the GAR, how will this affect cadets?”

“I think that’s the least of our problems,”

“And what do you think is more of a problem?”

“There is the more pressing matter, as we need to discuss how to deal with Senators,” Fox said pointedly.

“What does that mean,” Wolffe growled.

“It means exactly what you think it means, etiquette is important, and no offence you have the manors equivalent of a Blurrg.” Thorn said, clearly meaning absolute offence and Fox sighed, he loved this man but really.

“He’s right,” Fox cut in, “we need to maintain a professional and quiet demeanor towards every single person you speak to, sith hells, even if you breathe in their direction it will be done out of respect.”

Fox stood up, daring his idiot brothers to try and say anything. To mock him, to call him a disgrace and to leave him again. If they did, he would be done, they wouldn’t be aliit anymore, he would be done with them and leave them to the Senate on their own, this time, he wouldn’t go back.

Thorn cracked his knuckles behind him, raising his chin and moving to stand behind Fox. Fox was thankful for the silent support, moving to tap his forearm with Thorn’s. 

He didn’t move further into Thorn, no matter how much he wanted to. He knew that, while Wolffe said he would move on, and that he was content with what life had thrown at him. Fox knew that Wolffe would be resentful for a while. Thorn constantly making snide comments and jabs at Wolffe out of a misplaced desire for revenge for Fox didn’t help all that much either. 

Cody seemed to pull himself together first, and nodded to Fox, “fine.”

Wolffe was baring his teeth before Cody whirled on him. Fox braced himself for the inevitable fight to break out between them, they had been like this since cadets. 

Cody’s bright eyes narrowed, a clear warning. Fox opted not to say anything, it wasn’t his place. 

Wolffe took the threat for what it was and relented. He sighed and dipped his head in appreciation at Cody, who responded with a nod. 

“Let’s adjourn for a while, and come back around sixteen-hundred and re-discuss this,” Fox moved up, and started walking out, “get something to eat, the food in the cafeteria is shit.” 

“Yeah, what’s new,” Wolffe grumbled and stood, Wolffe II jumping from his lap.

Kote was weaving between Cody’s legs, Thorn II seemed to have made his appearance, giving Fox II a lick on the ear.

Fox and Thorn walked out and made their way to their barracks, today was important to them and the guard, and while these meetings were important in the long run, it didn’t matter too much to either of them. 

Dogma was reading a datapad with one hand while petting Dogma II, Tor Company was with him. Jay was shadow boxing with Hettir. Both were being cheered on by Ray’ca and Dahlia. Carnage was laughing and throwing his pillow at them

Ge’tal Company was watching beside them, Cardinal was crossing his arms, Cardinal II sitting on his shoulder with a similar disappointed look. Cuprite and Cinnabar, twin siblings, were rolling their eyes. Carnelian was reading a datapad while Topaz was sleeping.

Dogma continued reading and Fox figured that he was spaced. Cardinal saluted and went back to watching over the troopers. 

“Bic cuyir ca'nara,” Thorn said solemnly.

Dogma sighed and rolled out of his bunk, stretching. Cardinal smirked and started to pull on his armor. 

Fox smiled and moved to walk by Dogma as Cardinal walked out to find Commander Stone. 

Thorn called up Hound, who responded with what Fox could view as happiness. 

“You ready M’ika?” Fox asked.

Dogma was looking down at his armor and started pulling it on. Fox nodded and walked to put on his own, grabbing an extra grappling hook. 

He tossed one to Dogma, who caught it at the last second and looked up at Fox with slight surprise, “tion’jor?”

Fox smiled slightly and tapped his shoulder, and Dogma nodded. Fox bumped shoulders with him, and Dogma smiled shyly, still looking at his armor.

“Tsikala?”

“Sa ni kelir vurel cuyir.” he nodded and Fox tapped his shoulder, he made brief eye-contact before walking off to his squad. 

Fox nodded, looking at his adika before slinking off to check on the rest of Prudii. They all looked back, smirking. Jay was loading up on bombs, her green eye glittering. Hettir was loading their gun while Ray’ca was tying back his hair and missing with his own rifle. Dahlia had a...sword? Fox knew that she had not had that last time and was probably from Talon as a promotion present. Carnage was pulling on his bucket, they were fairly normal, like Commander Thire.

Dogma whistled and all of Tor stood at parade rest. He nodded and they all followed him out, Fox laughed and moved behind the squad. 

They climbed to the roof, sky still blue with a sign of dreary grey. Thire was standing up with Talon, Stone and Cardinal were talking quietly. Hound was practically bouncing on his feet, Thorn laughing at his Sergeant’s enthusiasm. 

Fox walked up to the other Commanders, nodding.

Thire smirked and Stone whooped. 

“Let’s go bitches!” Thorn shrieked, “scatter!”

Fox ran, moving towards where they usually performed this, consequently near 79’s, in a large empty lot. Thorn was right beside them. 

Thorn and Fox stopped first, whirling around, waiting for Prudii and Ge’tal to appear. 

Dogma and Hound were next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Fox made a hand signal to Dogma and he nodded and waved a few of his men over and jumped a few roofs up and forward. He lay down in his sniper position, loading his stuns and waited. 

Shade, one of Thire’s senior troopers appeared, with Adobe, one of Stone’s men. Both running across the side, Dogma didn’t take the shot, instead, Sena gave a warning shot, rolling off her ledge and handing under a gutter. 

One of Thire’s boys shot from behind, grabbing her and tackling her on her side.

“Sith damn it!” She shrieked over the comms, bright orange hand print on her buffed armor. She dropped and sat down on the pavement.

“We’ve been made!” Thorn cried. 

Hound barked loudly and moved to tackle him in return, but was intercepted by one of Stone’s, who Dogma promptly stunned, a bright purple mark remained where his stun hit.

“He was mine!”

“Yet I shot him,” Dogma sneered.

Fox cackled, and jumped from his own spot, grabbing an unsuspecting Thire, pinning him. He quickly took out his powder bomb, bright red all over the sputtering commander and the younger sat, disgruntled at his early loss.

Around him was pure chaos, bright dyes flying around, coloring their hair and armor. Fox laughed as Stone moved in front, grey-blue flying around them, meeting bright purples and reds. Yellows and greens danced around them as vivid blues and oranges sprayed. 

Fox sneezed as some powder got into his nose, but heard more laughing as the more guardsmen joined. 

For exactly three hours, They laughed and enjoyed themselves, getting dizzy on the highs and hues. Armor turning a lovely array of colors with all the dye it was being exposed to. A majority of the guard had removed their buckets, and with that came the consequence of stained faces and hair. Thorn’s own blond hair had long since turned into a blur of red and blue. 

Even the quieter few had been dragged out into festivities, laughing joyously as they danced alongside colors.

Fox yelped as Thorn grabbed him, dumping glitter-infused-dye into his hair. He shook himself out all over the other commander, who laughed.

When their time of joy finished, they quieted, mood turning as the color fell. 

Fox spoke first, “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum,”

“Glide,”

“Jackal,”

“34,”

“Swan,”

“Pebble,”

“Ripple,”

“Wind,”

“Jackrabbit,”

“Star,”

“Slash,”

“Tulip,”

They kept at it, every guard who’d been lost in service would be named, no matter how long they stood there. They all held their heads high, listing and listening as the sun set.

Finally Fox finished as he started, “Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.”

There was a moment of silence, they all were unsure of what to do after this, so they just stood there, year after year.

Finally, Leap moved, beckoning Rush Company with him to begin their patrol. And like a switch, they all moved, returning to their duties.

Fox and Thorn made their way back to the barracks, to change their armor and rinse their faces. No one ever really talked, out of respect or grief, Fox never could tell. 

He was grateful, remembrances like these reminded him that they were making a difference, that what they did wasn’t in vain like so many others ridiculed them for.

Fox breathed, dunking his face into the sink and looking up at his reflection. I look like shit, but colorful . He smiled slightly, watching the reflection’s crooked grin appear back. His teeth were stained, slightly blue. His hair was mottled with yellows and purples and reds, as was his face.

For once his scars were hidden by something other than his bucket. 

He glanced at Thorn’s reflection next to him, who nodded.

He sighed, put on his ceremonial kit. Thorn was doing the same and they walked back to Fox’s office. Both men had their buckets on, and Fox prayed that his brothers wouldn’t ask him to remove his bucket.

Both were sitting, and Fox nodded,

“Let’s get started,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from- Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC) by Fall Out Boy
> 
> riduur- spouse  
> Kaminii- Kaminoan  
> kih’vod- little brother  
> aliit- family, clan  
> tion’jor- why  
> Tsikala- ready  
> Sa ni kelir vurel cuyir- As I will ever be  
> adika-little one, son, daughter, of any age  
> Prudii- shadow  
> Ge’tal- red  
> Tor- justice  
> Edee- teeth  
> Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum- Daily remembrance of those passed on *I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.* Followed by repetition of loved ones' names.  
> Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la- Not gone, merely marching far away. (Tribute to a dead comrade.)


	8. Brief interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update on the proceedings of the story

So, firsts things first- why is everything chaptered instead of a series now- I edited my series to be multi-chapter instead of various connected stories, I figured it would be easier in doses and to flip through chapters than to go through all the hassle to go between series. It will also help me when I do eventually decide to branch from this series. Everything will still be the same.

Next, I start up school again tomorrow, my classes are pretty easy (all of my APs are next semester). I still plan on updating regularly. I am very attached to this au and like what's going on. 

However, I am in my Junior Year of Highschool, and have my SAT, 3 AP exams (fuck college board tbh), and an online college course to on my plate, so if around december or january you see my writing decrease or get worse, it has unfortunately become on the backburner of the priority list. I also have to start looking at potential colleges, afterschool activities, and the rebirth of my social life as school begins to worry about.   
I will not apologize, as my prospects of getting into a University and graduating do matter a lot to me and very anxiety inducing, as such, I will be putting a larger amount of time and effort. 

Anyways... I'm thankful for those who have stuck it out this far, and the update was mostly for all future projects, not just this one. I'm grateful for every comment and kudos and they provide a huge boost of seratonin. I'm thankful for you for sticking it out and hope that you enjoy whatever is coming next.

🧡 Ginge


	9. So Keep Your Calm and Carry On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back for another installment b a b i e s
> 
> I would highly suggest reading, but you don't habe to, it just explains some of Neyo
> 
> A bit about Neyo-  
> Neyo trained under Dred Priest, a member of the Mandalorian terrorist group called Death Watch. For those of you who don't know, Priest was a major dickwad. He was well known for incorporating these things called Battle Circles in his training (a two person fight to the death). I personally believe if you're extreme enough to do that, you'll probably do other insane shit as well.  
> Back to Neyo-  
> Neyo has a combination of severe PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder. He had the war as an excuse to ignore his problems, but now... he's struggling. I do want to do something to delve further into his character, he needs more content tbh, as well as his relationships with his brothers, Vaughn, WAC and his environment. Neyo is considered one of the coldest clone Commanders. When I originally wrote this, I was hc him as Schizophrenic, but when going back, I felt like BPD fit more with what I was trying to write, and upon further research, while uncommon, delusions and hallucinations can occur as a symptom for BPD.

“Okay!” Thorn shouted, slamming his hands onto the table, Wolffe and Cody startled while Fox stood behind him. Cody noticed how close the two were saying.

“Why,” Wolffe hissed.

“Up!” Both men stood quickly, “attention!”

Both men straightened their backs, arms at their sides and eyes pointed forward. Fox rolled his eyes and held his hand up, “at ease.”

Thorn gave them a slight glare and sat down with a huff.

“Men, we will have to learn to deal with many things here. What we learned as cadets on Kamino will be relearned again, respect will be given, eye-contact won’t be made, and any and all comments will be kept to yourselves,” Fox narrowed his eyes, gold turning dark. 

Wolffe looked like he was about to argue, but didn’t comment. Cody, however, did, 

“So we’ll act like the very things we’re trying to argue we’re not?”

“We’re trying to make allies here, and being a disrespectful ass isn’t going to help us,” 

Wolffe growled quietly, and Cody clenched his fists.

“Again,” Thorn commanded, “you will remain at parade rest unless spoken directly too, then you will snap  _ straight  _ to attention.”

“You will not speak unless someone speaks to you, you will only answer and then shut up and stand straight,” Fox slunk around them.

“Everyone wants something from you here, there is no mercy, no kindness, no concept of morality. Everyone here is only here to benefit themselves and occasionally- _ very very rarely- _ for their people,” 

“This is intense,”

“We’re just scratching the surface,” Fox said bluntly. 

“It’s literally not even barely dragging your fingers across it,”

Wolffe snorted, but Cody was suspicious. He wasn’t too sure where this was going, but he would go on with it he supposed.

Fox narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything more, “we’ll reconvene again tomorrow, take an evening.”

* * *

Doom was laughing while Kote pawed at Wolffe’s hair. Wolffe scrunched his nose but didn’t say anything more. Wolffe the Tooka just slumped at Bly’s side. Bly the Tooka, a thin-furred yellow striped tooka was wrestling with Ponds, a long-legged white and rust tooka. 

Doom was stroking Doom II, the green and yellow tooka was sitting on his lap, narrowing his eyes. Thorn the tooka was sitting to the side, grooming Fox II.  _ It was cute _ , Neyo supposed blandly.

Cody looked like he didn’t know what was happening. He sighed and Kote moved from Wolffe to him, bunting against his legs and Cody picked up the speckled tooka. 

Stone was watching over them, it would seem that he guard didn't trust them on their own. Not that Neyo gave a shit. These bastards were batshit insane as it was. Stone II was perched on his shoulder, staring at the chaotic group of tookas. 

Neyo supposed he was calm for. The tooka on his lap looked absolutely blissful. Snow-white fur with red spots was smoothed down and re-ruffled by Neyo’s repetitive hand motions. It felt good, the tooka’s soft fur felt good on his hands, rough tongue soothed the scars caused by Priest. Priest rolled his eyes next to Neyo, he heard a mumbled  _ ‘pathetic’ _ but Neyo couldn’t bring himself to care.

Bacara was at his side, his counterpart was sizing up Rex, and Neyo watched the white and magenta tooka leap into the CT’s surprised hands. 

Vaughn was to the side, and when Neyo made brief eye-contact with him he turned away and resumed conversation with Lock and Odd-Ball. 

Neyo slowly began to push himself up, but his tooka gave an annoyed snarl and Neyo fell back down. Bacara snorted from his left and Neyo threw his stress ball at him, and Rex II and Vaughn II took notice, jumping on his stomach. He oofed and the other commanders turned. 

“You good ‘Cara?” Cody asked.

“Neyo is being an asshole,” 

“What’s new?” Wolffe grumbled and  _ ouch. _

_ ::S’true isn’t it, people who aren’t assholes don’t murder their own brothers:: _ CC-1524, Neyo’s first kill at the ripe age of eight, when Priest thought it was a good time to start the art of Battle Circles. 

“As if you’re a piece of  uj'alayi,” Neyo growled.

“A damn sweet one at that,” Wolffe turned his nose.

“Fox would disagree,” Neyo smirked, Priest nodded behind him.

Wolffe shifted, and growled. He made a move towards Neyo glaring dangerously, “you dare.”

“No, I succeed,” Neyo smiled coolly. 

_ ::Keep going CC-8826, you are a weapon, the best of the best and because of that they’ll jump on you the moment you show a weakened state, never bare your throat, only bare your teeth:: _

Neyo didn’t say anything, just blankly looked through Priest, who only seemed to get angrier. _ When didn’t he _ , whether he was actually there or just in Neyo’s head.  _ Gods he was such a freak. _

He knew the drill by now, it was hard not too. Look down, don’t make eye-contact. You are CC-8826, a weapon of the Republic, a sharpened knife amongst blunt hammers. You were not created to live or die, but to kill.

“Neyo enough!” Bacara snapped and Neyo immediately came back to himself. He  _ didn’t  _ flinch at Bacara’s voice, he wasn’t scared of him or Priest or anyone else for that matter. He was a weapon, he didn’t feel anything, he wasn’t seeing people who weren’t there and he certainly wasn’t anxious due to Bacara yelling at him, that would be insane. 

_ ::Just like you, seeing people who aren't _ here:: Thank you Hir, much appreciated.

Neyo closed his eyes and sat back, Neyo II hopped back on his lap, as did Vaughn II. He ignored him alongside Priest, Neyo II was obviously not having that.

_ “Buir doesn’t LOVE me??? Why? Have I sinned???? Have YOU sinned??? Buir??” _

He grumbled, now it seems tooka’s were invading the ever increasing pantheon of voices in his head. He sighed and just ruffled his fur. The tooka purred with glee and cuddled up to his stomach. WAC wouldn't pull this shit, _he totally would,_ but he was off with a few of his guys while Neyo was stuck here. Priest scoffed at him, and Neyo didn’t care. Not anymore anyways.

Neyo signed, laying back. He closed his eyes, and covered his face with his arm. He ignored the pulling of the Jai’galaar brand burned on his shoulder. He was sixteen, declared ready for combat months before, Priest wanted a reminder that he was who made Neyo what he was, no one else.

Wolffe gave one last angry growl before sitting back down. The door chimed, and Thire walked in.

“Hey bitches,” 

“Who are you calling a bitch, bitch?” Lock shot back.

“You, bitch,” Thire clasped his vembrace.

It was good to see that Thire was bonding back with his batchers, Neyo supposed. His batchmates were either dead or Bacara. He briefly saw Pit looking at Vaughn, and ‘93 was glaring at both him and Priest. He always was, Neyo couldn’t blame him, they did kill him. Or Neyo did, Priest just encouraged it.

He looked over at Wolffe, who was smiling softly at their younger brothers. Scrit was behind him, blood pouring from his arm, where Neyo’s blade had passed through moments before he put a blaster to his skull.

Neyo was so tired. He was tired of seeing the dead, of envying their peace, but he would stay out of spite, and for Bacara. Not that Bacara needed him or even particularly wanted him, but oh well. He sometimes wondered where he would go when he died, there were times in battle where he wondered if that was it. If he would be free. 

But he’s better than that. 

He’s better than  _ them _ .

_ ::Fuck you::  _ Kanga, neck snapped, bones pressing into Neyo’s hand, head lolling to the side like a broken doll.  _ Gods what had he done. _

_ ::Don’t forget Ney’ika, you only live because we died::  _ CC-3134, killed by Neyo’s quick blade, they were six, standard twelve. 

Fox and Thorn walked in, eyes passing over them before fixing of Cody and Wolffe,

“It’s time?” Cody asked.

“It’s time,” Fox said.

* * *

Cody watched Fox and Thorn walk together. Steps in tandem, side by side. Little taps on each others’ shoulders. Cody felt his heart hurt, that was once them. Wolffe at Fox’s left, Cody and Bly on either side, Ponds at Fox’s right- not that he’d left.

It hurt to remember that Ponds had died when they were fractured. He had died with the knowledge that they had hated Fox, and he had hated them for it. 

_ Ponds whirled on Wolffe, “you’re going to regret this, and when Fox moves on and leaves you all in the dust, I'll be there to give all the 'I told you so's'!”  _

He was right. Ponds was always right.

He missed that bastard. 

They all did.

He briefly wondered if Ponds knew. If he knew Thorn’s feelings for Fox and Fox beginning to return them when he made that comment. Cody wondered if that final fixed glare on Wolffe was his way of letting him know that Wolffe was losing time. He wondered what would have happened if Wolffe had taken up on the warning, if they all had.

Fox sighed, gesturing for them to take the stand in front of him. Wolffe walked first, Cody followed. Thorn and Fox standing side by side.

“Don’t speak unless spoken too and be respectful, please, we can’t afford enemies now,” Fox whispered earnestly. Cody knew that he was being honest.

Cody and Wolffe nodded, knowing that this was important to their brother. And they knew if they ever wanted to make improvements to their relationship, they would have to compromise, even if they disagreed. 

Fox and Thorn moved in front, their shined armor glinting in the chrome light of the Senate Chambers. 

Cody felt nervous, looking around at all the Senators. Chancellor Organa gave them a small smile. Senator Amidala-Skywalker gave them a small wave. Senator Churchi gave Fox a beaming smile, one he returned.

Various Senators gave their pieces. New laws and bills were being proposed, tabled, approved, altered. Filibusters and committees. It was dizzying, Cody felt his eyes droop and his muscles go heavy.

Eventually, it was their turn. Fox tensed, as did Thorn. Both breathed deeply as their pod rose.

“Senators of the Republic, Chancellor Organa,” Fox greeted, voice cold and firm.

“Representatives,” 

“I would firstly like to thank you for having us here and hearing us out. I know these things are strange, I cannot imagine the culture shock of people who were barely considered sentient are now speaking in this committee, asking for rights and acknowledgment of our sentience. I only ask one thing, that you hear us out, and decide with a fresh perspective and view our situation from multiple angles.”

Fox took another step forward, not looking at any particular person, just baring himself to the gods.

“We are men, we feel-”  _ Most of us anyway, Neyo is absolutely psychotic and Bacara sometimes forgets that he does, in fact, have emotions _ -, “we have emotions, family, bonds and can do anything you can do, most of you can confirm as I have done most of the work that you and yours are capable of, you have watched me do it.” 

Thorn took a step forward, a crooked smile and bright eyes. He signaled to Chancellor Organa, who smiled warmly. 

“Commander Fox does your work, he is basically more of a senator than half of you, more of a Chancellor than Palpatine, and more of a man than others give him credit for,” Organa gave Fox a warm smile, who looked stunned and utterly flustered at the compliments. 

“Thank you Chancellor.” Fox bowed, flushed.

Thorn looked up, a smile fading to something serious, “we are not here to insult, barter, or fight. We want the same things that you and your people have, we want the freedom to make choices, to decide for ourselves what we want to do outside of war. To not be treated as property or livestock, but the living, sentients we are.”

Thorn took another breath, his hand dropping down to squeeze Fox’s, 

“we can feel, we can love, we can laugh, we form bonds with others- natborns and clones alike. We sleep, we breathe, we have dreams and aspirations,”

“We hurt, cry, scream, and grieve. Just like you,” Fox spoke up, “our lives started with nothing but pain and torture, and most of my brothers ended their lives like that.”

The Senate was silent. Cody wondered if the speech was geared towards the Senate or the reporters and therefore the public. 

“What are your demands Commander Fox?”

“We don’t have any Senators, we only ask for the right to be treated as sentients.”

“And what about your  _ friends _ ?” 

Fox looked at them, a silent threat was in his eyes.

“We, Senators, are here for the same reasons they are,” Cody stood next to Fox stepping between him and Thorn like an asshole, “I have watched brother after brother die. Shrapnel, droids, blasterfire, lightsabers, trauma, lacerations and more.”

Wolffe stepped forward, behind Fox and to the right of Cody, peaking out.

“We have given our lives in exchange for safety and security, not of just you but the very mastermind of the war, the one that went under are the noses of everyone in this room,”  _ Wolffe no. _

Wolffe raised an eyebrow,  _ Wolffe yes. _

“Excuse us Commander, are you insinuating something,”

“No sir, he’s just impulsive,” Fox stepped in front of Wolffe, Thorn was glaring at him, looking seconds away from attacking, he probably would already be on it, if it wasn’t for the thousands of eyes on them. 

“I’m sure...” A regally-dressed Iradonian sneered. 

Fox looked down, closing in on himself. 

“I’m sorry sir, it won’t happen again,” 

“See that it doesn’t,” They waved Fox down.

“And what is your plan, for if the clones do manage rights?” 

Fox breathed in, giving Thorn a look, who smiled and stalked to the the stand, giving Senator Burtoni his brightest smile,

“We hope to return to the facilities on Kamino, and repurpose them for our brothers,”

Burtoni flipped, glaring at the scruffy clone, “you  _ dare _ clone?”

“No ma'am, it is just consideration,” Fox placated, fixing Burtoni with his own glare.

“Just  _ consideration _ ?”

“Yes,” Thorn smirked, “it’s simple, the war is over, there is no longer the need to decant and train more soldiers, it would be a waste actually. We believe that the best place for the clones to rebuild was where we started out.”

“The Kaminoans have no uses for these labs for anything of ethical nature at the moment. Decantment tanks, nurseries, reeducation, reconditioning, decommissioning, and organ harvesting facilities are of little use. Clearing them out and replacing them with barracks, common areas and other yet to be determined fittings for my brothers. That way we are not taking any space from others, just returning to what is ours.”

“Kamino is  _ not _ yours,” Burtoni fumed.

Fox smiled, “with all due respect Senator, we have as much right to be considered Kaminii as you do. We were created there, grew up there, and lived there, your planet is as much ours as yours, but we are only asking for the place we all grew up in.”

“Let’s table this Commander Fox, you and your men have all made good points, but I fear we are out of time. We will return tomorrow to discuss further,” Chancellor Organa smiled, Fox gave him a little grin in return, a nod of thanks.

They all turned and walked rigidly out. As they had cleared the space and all the exiting Senators, some giving them looks of interest, disgust, or nothing at all, Fox was silent giving some nods, to which they paled and looked away.

_ What’s up with that _

Thorn took lead as they moved to a more secluded area. He immediately whirled around and socked Wolffe in the jaw.

“Kark-”

“Believe me, when I’m done you won’t be able to swear much less use your jaw for a solid tenday,” he snarled, leaping for the kill.

Fox intercepted, dragging him back, but glaring at them all the same, “take patrol, cool off cyare, come back when your calmer and not about to murder your coworker in broad daylight.”

Thorn whispered something and Fox sighed, pressing a light kiss to his cheek and Thorn grumbled, pulling Fox in for something deeper.

Fox rolled his eyes and separated, “check on Gap Squad, heard they got hit by Pykes.”

“Yessir,” Thorn saluted, giving Wolffe a dark look and stalking off.

“What the  _ fuck _ ,” Fox whirled on them, “were you morons thinking?”

“I-,”

“I asked for  _ one  _ thing. For you di’kuts to use some Force-damned tact for once and not antagonize everyone around you, kark  _ Skywalker _ could have done better than that,”

“They were being assholes-,” Wolffe defended.

“Yes, they were, they always are. And you know what Wolffe, I get put down by these bastards every  _ single _ day. I get told I’m worthless and no better than the dirt underneath their shoes every hour. I’m forced to do hours upon hours of paperwork, detail duty, patrols and investigations. Then I turn around to be trashed and treated like I’m no better than a droid by my brothers. At least these dicks are transparent about it,”

“Fox-”

“No, I’m karking done. I get shit on daily by you, Cody, the Command squad, natborns, Palpatine, Jedi, High Command, hell even  _ CT’s _ . I am disgraced at every turn, told I’m no better than a droid, that at least a droid can be programmed to have a personality and that I’m stuck like me,” 

There were tears running down his face, Fox looked so tired. Cody felt a megaton times worse. His brother was shaking, hands clenching and eyes simultaneously tired and angry. Hair slightly mussed, composure long gone.

Cody had only seen it once before, when Jango had gone too far one day. They were a standard nine, looking eighteen, close to when their accelerated aging would cap off and keep them on their  _ Prime _ .  _ Heh… _ Fett had a gun trained on Cody, face red and not-all there. Fox had appeared, as a blur of bronze and rage.

He knocked him off his feet, standing in front of Cody and Wolffe and Bly and Ponds. A protector, because that was what he was, he had always put them first, even if it meant his own blood on the line.

He had yelled, the soft-spoken, emotion-internalizing, light-footed and kind Fox had broken, revealing something angry and dark inside. He asked Prime how he looked in the mirror, how he could sleep peacefully, knowing that he was the cause of their existence, to create them to be tortured, to let them be tortured and enslaved and now this, nearly killing one of his own. After all, they were all Boba’s batch, anyone of them could have been little Boba. 

Fett hadn’t said anything, just stood up and stared down at Fox. Fox didn’t back down, teeth bared like Wolffe and feet planted in stubbornness like Bly did. Ready for the fight like Cody and prepared to defend like Ponds. Eyes defiant like Rex and jaw clenched like Boba. All features they could attribute to Fox and vice-versa.

“I’m done, I don’t know why I was stupid enough to believe things would change and that you would listen to me, I don’t know why I tried,” 

Fox sobered up, face drawing a blank and swiftly walking away, leaving them like they left him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ticking Bomb- Aloe Blacc
> 
> The command squad has Tookas, and their origin will be unknown until I finish an outside installment. Fear not, it should only take me like 30 years...
> 
> In other news Fox is having an emotional breakdown and frankly, same.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Court Mandated Therapy for the Boys

“Commander Fox,”

“Master Ti,” 

“Thank you for being here,”

“Thank you for having me, I’m sorry for taking up your time,” 

“You have nothing to apologise Commander, I am glad to be talking to you again,” she smiled, “you always were an intelligent conversationalist.”

“Thank you Master Ti,”

“It’s nothing to be thankful for Commander,”

“Yes sir.” Fox saluted. 

Shaak sighed, expression unreadable.

“How are you doing, really?” 

Fox’s head was pounding, his throat was closing, “I-it’s been going sir, I’ve been kept busy with paperwork and drafts.”

“I thought they were taking you off your duties?”

“They were...but I have long since become an important part of the Senate and it’s proceedings,”

“Commander…” she sighed.

Fox winced, “sorry sir.”

“Commander,” Ti smiled thinly, oh gods, she was pissed, “there is nothing to apologize for, this is an open space.”

“Okay, sir,”

She looked at him again, “how have your memory treatments going?”

“I’m starting to get things back, so take of that what you will,” 

“That’s good,” Ti nodded,  _ it wasn’t _ .  _ He didn’t want any of it back, he would rather just live without them until his end of his life.  _

“Your brothers?”

“Thire, Stone, and Thorn are doing extremely well, as are most of my Guards,”

“And your batchmates?”

“I-we’re fine,” he finished quickly, too quickly.

Ti gave him an eyebrow raise, and Fox moved back slightly, worried. Jedi were so  _ weird _ .

“I heard about the Senate hearing from Master Kenobi,”

Fox winced and wished that the floor would just swallow him up.

“Tell me about your batchmates,” Ti changed the subject.

“Wolffe is the feral, wild one. Cody is the angry, stubborn one. Ponds is- _ was _ ...he was the funny, down-to-earth one. Bly is the kind, cute one,”

“That’s not what I meant, Commander” 

“Then what did you mean Master Ti?”

“I mean, what is your relationship with them,”

“Wolffe and I were close, I mean, we were cribmates...we were “together” until...for a while.” Fox stuttered, looking away.

“Until…”

“After Geonosis...when I was placed on the Guard was kinda the beginning of the end,”

“And how did that affect you?”

“It hurt-still hurts a lot. A part of me knows that there will be a piece of me that belongs to him. But...I would like to say that I’ve moved on, Thorn and the others have given me a home...an aliit. And I can’t thank them enough for it,”

“And how are you and Commander Thorn doing?”

Fox felt a flush rise up, “I-I fail to see how that has any effect on this meeting?”

Ti gave him a teasing smile, and Fox couldn’t help but respond with his own embarrassed smile.

“Hmm, so I assume it’s going good?”

“We got married.” Fox blurted, a giddy feeling combining with mortification at his quick response. Ti gave him a bright look, markings shifting with her seeming happiness at him and his life, Fox was slightly confused.

“Congratulations,”

“Thank you ma’am,” Fox blushed.

“How are the rest of your Guard, especially dealing with Palpatine,”

Fox shrugged, remembering the hush of relief after Palpatine was dead, Senators under investigation, and they were all forced to lie low while receiving psychiatric evals.

“We’re all good, a bit shaken, but it’s business as usual,” Fox finally spoke, “the most jaring thing was everyone being back,”

“And how is that?”

“It is...odd to say the least, I-I was doing my best, but it seems that I wasn’t good enough for that,” 

Fox sighed and leaned back, it was going to be a long day.

* * *

“Commander Wolffe,”

“Shaak,”

“It’s good to see you again, Plo speaks quite highly of you,”

“Thank you sir, he says the same of you,”

“How are you?”

“Good, I suppose,”

“You suppose?”

“Yes sir, some of my men have trouble adjusting to Coruscant,”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“How are  _ you _ doing?” Shaak looked closely at him, waiting for the shifting in his expression, the changes to reflect his thoughts. As if she couldn’t read them.

“Fine, it’s been going you know,”

“Do I?”

“I mean, it’s weird, everything is so  _ different _ .” Wolffe started, it was. He didn’t like unfamiliar situations 

“Indeed, it was strange coming back from Kamino,” Shaak agreed, “seeing how everyones’ changed over the course of the war.”

“Yeah, everyone has changed so much…” Woffe comiserorated. 

“Anything specific?” She asked and Wolffe fidgeted.

“I mean...Cody is actually... _ nice _ to people now. Like he would fight his own shadow if he felt it looked at him wrong, and his blondie came later, never saw him much,”

“Anything else?”

“Bly is hooking up with General Secura, which is good because he’s always been very repressed,” Wolffe conceded, he had a brief idea of where this was going, Fox’s breakdown was caused by him and Cody, and she wanted to know more, “and he’s been happier.”

The Jedi nodded, seeming content to wait him out. Wolffe would remain silent, because he feared once he started he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Wolffe,”

“I-Fox, ya’know?” Wolffe tried, waving his hands.

“I don’t know,” Shaak looked softly at him, “do you want me to call in Plo?”

“No,” Wolffe said, he didn’t want to face Plo’buir at the moment, even if he knew that he wouldn’t judge him.

“Okay, continue then Commander,”

“Fox and I were...a...a  _ thing _ ,”

“A thing?”

“We were  _ together _ ,” Wolffe finally finished, “back on Kamino we were together.”

Ti nodded and Wolffe continued, he might as well finish, “we were together until the middle of the war, when I  _ fucked _ up.”

“Does Fox feel that way?”

“I  _ don’t _ know,” Wolffe whined like a  _ cadet _ , “I don’t know what Fox thinks anymore.”

She looked slightly tired. And Wolffe felt kind of bad, but he genuinely didn’t know what to say.

“Okay,” Ti nodded, leaning back.

Wolffe leaned back with her, closing off,

“After the Malevolence, I was angry, I was always angry. I-I couldn’t get rid of it, I couldn’t sleep without the cycle running over and over again of us in that escape pod, but Buir wasn’t there and Sinker and Boost were choking on oxygen and dying and everyone was dead and I couldn’t...I couldn't,”

Wolffe choked, shaking slightly, Shaak’s hand found its way to his shoulder, touch soft and kind. 

“Fox was there, he always was. No matter where I was as a cadet, Fox was always two steps behind me. I was the frontman and Fox always had my six. Fox was always  _ there _ , and sometimes...he would show up in that damn escape pod too, sitting there and  _ watching _ . Fox was always  _ there _ but I hadn’t noticed until he was curled up next to me on the bio bed after the fact that he wasn’t always anymore.”

“Do you feel like that’s where the problem began?”

“No,” Wolffe breathed, “I don’t actually know, but it was soon after Geonosis.”

“When he was assigned to the Guard?”

“I-yeah…” Wolffe muttered.

“Do you think that there might be anything there?”

“I don’t actually know, I haven’t really thought about it,”

“Perhaps you should,”

“Perhaps I should,” Wolffe repeated,  _ and I will. _

* * *

“Commander Cody,”

“General Ti,”

“Commander Cody,” General Ti nodded, “Obi-wan speaks quite highly of you.”

“I suppose he does,” Cody smiled.

He shifted uncomfortably, he wasn’t made for this. He was a weapon goddamn it, a cog for something greater, he didn’t know what would happen here.

“How have you been adjusting?”

“It’s been good, calmer. My boys are all settling, but some are getting restless, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to start assigning them as Guardsmen though,”

“I also share your sentiments, not without significant training for it at least,”

“I know a of them are planning on retiring, Boil and Waxer have plans to go to Ryloth as soon as they physically can to get a Twi’lek they adopted,”

Master Ti laughed, “and you Commander?”

“I mean...we’ve been going smoothly so far...at least,” Cody winced, “at least until the other day.”

Ti nodded, probably knowing what he was talking about, Wolffe and Fox probably said something about it.

“What do you think prompted this?”

“Wolffe fucked up,” Cody blurted, “sorry.”

“It’s okay,”

“It’s just-we were all doing so good now. Fox was getting more comfortable around us, Thorn was still prickly but he was bonding with his own batchers, hells Thire and Stone respectively were taking their batchmates on patrols or out with them during their breaks, we were working steadily- and I know that Wolffe is jealous, even though he refuses to admit it, when he tries to say he’s over it- he isn’t, and Thorn knows it,”

“Do you think he’ll try anything?”

“No, er- he kinda already did,” Ti’s eyebrows shot up, quite taken aback and Cody fought the urge to laugh because frankly:  _ same _ .

“He got like-  _ really _ hammered and kinda confessed right there, Thorn was in the middle of beating the ever-loving shit out of him before Fox put a stop to it. They um-they talked apparently, but I don’t think any amount of talking will ever help Wolffe get closure like this, especially with Thorn mocking us at every turn,”

“Commander Thorn?” She seemed surprised, as if she didn’t expect this.

“Yes,” Cody sighed, “he’s been bitter lately, I don’t blame him in any capacity, but he’s going out of his way to make life hell for Wolffe.”

The jedi sighed, scrubbing her face, “so they’re in a tooka fight over Fox?”

“Pretty much, Fox and Wolffe were  _ always _ a thing, like where there was Wolffe there was Fox a few feet behind and vice versa,” Cody messed with his hair, “and now that Fox is Thorn’s, Wolffe is struggling now, and while I don’t condone what we did to Fox, Thorn is just, always there now, rubbing it into our faces, like we know, we know that we fucked up severely and we’re trying.”

She gave him a kind look, “does he know that?”

“I hope so, I-we’ve all been doing our best,”

“But have you  _ told _ him this, have you apologised and told him that you were in the wrong, have made any attempts to reach out outside of a work setting- to just be brothers?”

“I-no…”

“Consider that, take it slow. Go one at a time, each of you take a day and just talk things out between you and him. Clear the air with him and the others, talk to Thorn privately, and be transparent.”

“Thank you,”

“And Commander, be slow, and be understanding. Your brother is entitled to feel someway about the situation, and it may not be a way that will end in your favor, respect that,”

“Thank you, I’ll do my best,”

Ti nodded, and Cody stood up, walking out of the room with a smile on his face. 

* * *

“Commander Bly,”

“General Ti,”

“Knight Secura?” She gave him a coy smile.

“Yeah,” Bly flushed.

“Congratulations,” Ti patted his shoulder.

“Thank you sir,” Bly said shyly.

“How are you doing with being back here?”

“It’s been nice, I’ve divided my time between the Temple, Aalya and my batchers and other vode,”

“That’s great,” Ti complimented, “are you planning on working Temple security?”

“I’ve considered talking to Thire about it,” Bly smile dropped, “but I’m not sure he’ll be receptive considering Wolffe and Cody’s big fuck up.”

“Commander?” She asked softly and Bly sighed.

“It’s like- I know they don’t mean it, but sometimes I feel out of the loop,” Bly finally said, “and it’s terrible, watching everything happen from the sidelines. At least I can understand how Fox felt left out and why he’s reacting the way he is.” 

The general nodded sympathetically, “are you feeling like it’s intentional?”

“No, I know that everyone is busy. Times are changing, and while the war is over...I feel...I have a feeling that everything will end up fine,”

She nodded, “I feel the same, and I hope that everyone will end off better after this.”

“Except the Kaminoans,” Bly sniped.

Shaak Ti gave him a sharp smile and Bly laughed with her.

“I’ll call Aayla and let her know that you are in the Temple,”

“Thank you sir,”

“Of course,” Ti got up, “and Bly...talk to Commander Thire about Temple Security, I’ve heard whispers of the Guard planning on leaving Coruscant, and we could use a Commander as dedicated as he is.”

Bly was slightly surprised, but at the same time...wasn’t. The Guard seemed to be buzzing with repressed energy, men constantly flinching, hands shaking, how they all sought adrenaline rushes by jumping off buildings for ‘funsies’. Fox had always wanted something above his station, to do more with and for himself, and it was clear he had imprinted on them.

If they did leave, he would be sad to see them go. 

He gave her a weak smile and walked out of the room. He went towards where he knows Aalya’s room was, he figured it would be nice to talk to her.

* * *

“Commander Thorn,”

“Master Ti,” 

“It is good to see you are well,”

“And you,” Thorn nodded.

Shaak raised her eyebrow and gave him a sharp smile, and Thorn experienced fear, “it’s certainly good to see that you and Fox are doing good.”

Thorn flushed, remembering his drunken rambling about Fox shortly after Wolffe had kicked him to the curb. He had never known who was on the other side of the comm.  _ Now he knew who _ .

“Errmmm,” Thorn blushed further, his whole body heating up as Ti chuckled. 

I heard about your marriage, I extend a congratulations to you,”

“Thank you,” Thorn felt giddy, “believe it or not, Fox proposed.”

“That’s a surprise,” Ti smiled.

“I was surprised too,” Thorn smiled, “only the guard knows though, we are kind of keeping it on the low-down until everything relaxes.” 

“And with your batchmates?”

“We’re getting there...there’s been some push backs but we’re moving. Most of us are working things out save Fox and his...squad,”

“That’s good, with Doom and Monnk at least,”

“It is, we’ve gone out a few times, I took them on a patrol with Hound,” Thorn recalled, the patrol went fine. We talked, exchanged basic pleasantries, thirsted over Kit Fisto...the usual clone conversation,”

Ti chuckled, giving him a toothy smile and Thorn gave her his own. He liked Ti, she was always kind to them.

The mood sombered and she gave him a slight look, “I’ve heard you’ve been fighting with Fox’s batchmates,”

Thorn almost growled, but responded all the same, “it’s what they deserve.”

“Do they?” She asked.

“Yes.” No hesitation, no thought to it. They deserved every second of Thorn’s ire; Fox was too kind to say what he actually felt.

The Jedi looked understanding and slightly disappointed, “is that what Fox thinks?”

“Fox is too good, too selfless, to say what he wants to say. He’ll do anything to be taken back and loved, that’s just who he is. He seeks to please others...even if they don’t deserve it.” Thorn grumbled. 

“And who do you feel doesn’t deserve it?”

“Every CC, especially his batch...me,”

“You?”

“I love Fox...I love him so much. I know that he loves me too, I know that he would drop buildings and move planets if I asked him to, but...I’m scared that I might do something that hurts him and it’ll be all my fault-” Thorn rambled.

“Commander,” Ti interrupted, “slow down.”

“Sorry sir, it’s just I love Fox...I love him  _ so  _ much...and I’m terrified that I’ll hurt him like everyone else has.” Thorn whispered, because he  _ was _ . Everyone Thorn has known had hurt Fox, and he saw the results. He did everything possible to comfort and help Fox. He held him when he was cold, gave him a shoulder to cry on when he was sad, an ear when he wanted to talk, a medic when he was too hurt to go to the medbay, a support system when Fox was vomiting in the fresher either due to alcoholism or fear; he would do anything for his riduur. But one day, he was scared he would join that group, but this time Fox wouldn’t have his shoulder to lean on anymore.

Master Ti nodded, giving him a kind look. Thorn did his best to return it with a thin smile,

“Do you have a plan of action, after?”

“So far, no,” Thorn said, “I don’t want to interact with the others very much, but we have to save face and all that...so we’ll probably play nice, and after this is all over I know a majority of the Guard are planning on leaving to Kamino if we do gain territory there.”

“That’s a good game plan, what about you and Fox?”

“I don’t actually know, probably pack up our tookas and but no matter where we go our Guard will follow,”

Master Ti smiled, giving a small laugh, “it is good to see that bonds are still strong in the Guard.”

“S’not like anyone else bothered,” Thorn muttered, “we only had each other for that longest time.”

“Don’t you feel that...something's got to change?”

“Once...if you had said this to me a while ago...I would have said yes- but now...I...now I’m older and I’ve seen the worst in everyone. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put my faith in others again, not my vode and not the Jedi, only my Guardsmen,”

The Togruta sighed, looking at him softly, and Thorn was sick of this, Fox and the others needed him. He got up and walked out, ignoring the light tendrils of Force brushing against his mind.

* * *

“Commander Stone,”

“Master Ti,”

“I heard about what happened, I’m sorry,”

“Yeah...every seems to be but no one ever does anything about it,” 

She gave him a slightly annoyed look, and Stone internally rolled his eyes.

“How is memory therapy?” 

“It’s going fine, and we’re all going through it. But we have each other, I love all of them,”

“That’s great,” she said cheerfully.

“Yep,” Stone muttered.

“Senators?”

“Absolutely,”

“Do you want to elaborate?”

“No,”

“Okay,”

“Fox is breaking again,”

“I’ve heard,”

“I’m worried about him, and Thorn,”

“Why Thorn?”

“He’s more emotionally involved this time around. The first time he wasn’t  _ with _ Fox like that,” Stone sighed, leg bouncing, “but now he’s closer to the situation, he’s very much attached himself to Fox, as Fox has attached himself to him.”

“You’re afraid, you’re afraid for your brothers,”

“I’m afraid that something will break, Fox is already drowning, and we’ve been desperately trying to pull him up and we’re afraid that he’ll fall,”

Ti nodded, “we’re all keeping an eye on him now, we have support and all he needs to do is reach out.”

“He won’t, he’s too stubborn for that...he won’t take any help because he doesn’t think he’s worthy of it...not when someone else could be receiving the help,”

“And you?”

“I-I don’t need it. My work was based off of Coruscant for a while, so Palpatine had less control over me,”

She nodded and Stone sighed.

“I’m fine, really,”

Ti hummed, giving him an ‘ _ I’m sure _ ,’ look. And Stone was sure, he wasn’t nearly as messed up as Fox or Thire...Palpatine’s favorites. 

“I am,”

The Jedi gave him a slight look, “how are your brothers?”

“Good, I’m fairly certain Faie is planning General Vos’s death and Gree has been fathering Bariss, I’m fairly certain he’s named his second tooka after her,”

“Anther tooka?”

“He’s got six of them now,”

Her eyes widened dramatically, “you’re joking.”

“Nope, six whole tookas,” Stone laughed, “I don’t how or why, but he’s got six of ‘em.”

“Does Luminara know?”

“Nope, but another one is named after her too,”

The togruta’s tattoos shifted as she smiled, “does Bariss know?”

“Who do you think tooka-sits when he’s doing CC things,”

“Have you been doing anything with them?”

“Not really, I’ve all been kinda busy now,”

“Are you planning on it in the future?” She sighed.

“Not at the moment, I’ve been holding the fort while Fox and Thorn have been pulling all the stops for our rights and future settling, Thire has been covering both our duties while I have been taking over Thorn and Fox’s,”

“What are you planning on doing?” 

“What do you mean?”

“After this is all said and done, what are you planning on doing?”

“Whatever the rest are going to do,”

She looked slightly disapproving, “what do you  _ want _ to do?”

“I- I just want to be with my brothers,” at her slight look and he clarified, “but like  _ with _ my brothers, not looking after Fox, keeping an eye on Thorn, helping out Thire, squadsitting the shinies.”

She nodded, “I would recommend spending time with your batchers, and with the other Guard Commanders.”

“I-okay, I’ll- I will do it, I just...don’t know how?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to reach out,” 

“You cannot just...call them?”

“Yeah...but like how?”

“Just call, invite them out, and just talk about what’s going on with the Guard...those kinds of things,”

“But  _ when _ do I call him?”

“Whenever you feel like it, you can even do it now,”

“Can I?”

“Go ahead,”

“Okay,” 

Stone hopped out of his chair, and left. Coming Gree and Faie, who answered immediately. 

They made plans, and Stone felt excitement for the first time for a while.

* * *

“Commander Thire,”

“Master Ti,”

“Master Yoda has said good things about you, and seeing the footage and watching your program I cannot help agree with that assessment,”

“Thank you sir, I take my job very seriously,”

“And I must thank you for that, and the younglings are always speaking very highly of you and your troopers.”

“They are all very fun to spend time with, one of the highlights of Temple Security,” 

“I know that you guys are aiming to establish yourselves in Kamino, are you planning on taking over cadet-centric programs?”

“I don’t know sir, I wouldn’t mind it if I was offered it though,”

Shaak nodded, giving him a smile, “if you do I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Master?”

“I have grown close to many cadets while Colt was alive and after he made peace with the force. I made him and myself a promise to keep and eye on them,”

"That's an honorable thing to do, I know the cadets will be glad to have you back, as will most of our younger guards,"

"I'm honored to be held in such high esteem,"

Thire smiled, and Ti smiled back at him. 

"How are you batch mates,"

"They're good, Lock has been planning for all of us to go out after our sessions are completely finished,"

"That's great," she gave him a toothy smile.

"Yep,"

"What about the Guard?"

"We've been coping..."

"Commander?"

"Like...I know that Fox had it worse, but I-I'm scared of what I did during my Missing Hours, and I-I want to talk to Fox about it...I don't know how he's coping with it,"

"I thought everything got released?"

"I know, but I'm scared to _look_ and _know_ what I did,"

"That's understandable," she agreed, "and you should talk to him, I think both of you would be better for it."

"Okay, I'll do it,"

"Good,"

"Yep,"

Thire rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I'm- I've been hanging with Vaughn now too, and Rex."

"That's great," she smiled.

"Yeah, we're planning on hanging out later,"

She gave him a bright smile, and he returned one. His comm chimed, and Ti gave him an understanding look, "go, tell the Crechemaster I said hello."

"I got you,"

Thire laughed, and walked out.

* * *

Some Bonus Neyo:

“Commander Neyo.” 

Shaak Ti gave him a kind look, Dred Priest was behind her, giving Neyo a sharp glare.

“That’s my name,”

“Do you know why your here,”

“Because Fox had an emotional breakdown and now we are all suffering for it,”

“Is it really that bad?” The Jedi asked, cocking her head. Neyo shrugged, leaning back in his chair and fixing her with a pointed glare. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” Neyo spat.

_ ::Awww, Ney’ika is is scared:: _

_ ::Poor little Neyo, scared of a Jedi who just wants to talk:: _

_ ::You think she’ll send you to be decommissioned as soon as she  _ **_sees_ ** _ :: _

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” she said, Neyo doubted she felt that, probably attempting to goad him to say more, to explain  _ why _ he felt like that.

_ ::Aww little Neyo, are you  _ **_feeling_ ** _ something?:: _

_ ::Don’t be going defective on us Neyo, you are our legacy:: _

“Whose legacy are you carrying?” 

“No one’s,” Neyo snapped. 

“I can hear them too Commander,”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, General Ti,”

“Master, the war is over,”

“Of course sir,”

Shaak Ti gave him a slight look, but Neyo pointedly ignored it like he did everything else

“Why are they talking to you?”

Neyo remained silent, petty, he knew, but oh well. 

“Who is talking to you?”

Neyo didn’t speak, just stared forward.

“Commander we won’t be leaving here until you answer me,” she said firmly.

“Is that an order?”

“A promise,”

Neyo sighed. 

_ ::Stop being a  _ **_little bitch_ ** _ ::  _ Dimple spat.

::Come on CC-8826, soldier up, I trained you better than that:: Priest spat, and Neyo desperately wanted a drink.

Ti gave Priest a dirty look and held up her hand. 

Neyo  _ didn’t _ flinch.

Ti stopped. She looked at him with faint pity and Neyo was disgusted.

_ He wasn’t supposed to be pitied _ . He was better than that. Priest nodded in agreement. 

“I’m going to touch your forehead,” she moved her small hand closer, Neyo stared at it, but didn’t move, “and I’m going to get rid of him and the others.”

Neyo didn’t believe her.

He was wrong.

Priest gave an enraged scream before disappearing. His batchmates, enemies...friends all vanished into the fog.

_ What? _

“What?”

“After this session I’m sending you to the mind-healers for this,” Ti said, looking extremely concerned. 

And even though Priest wasn’t there he could still hear him scoffing at his weakness.

“I don’t think that’s necessary sir,” Neyo snapped. 

He was getting so irritated, his skin was freezing and itchy. His nails were digging into his palm, he felt trapped and he hoped that he was conveying the threat of what he was trained to respond to when dealing with stress.

The jedi just stared at him, giving him a blank look. 

He supposed he appreciated that. Emotions were annoying, and anything was better than pity.

“I think it is, Commander,”

Neyo twitched, but didn’t move, he felt warm for once. The permanent cold that had settled in his bones had thawed.

But he remained cold on the outside, because even if he was warming up the inside. 

“Why do these people talk to you?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask them?”

“Commander,” Ti gave him a look.

Neyo looked away, he narrowed his eyes at the lights above him. He  _ really  _ wanted to sleep this off.


	11. I've Drowned and Dreamt This Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bly trying to do the Lord's work and try to deal with his batchmate's bullshit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more hc tyme: Snares- dealers ways of catching and/or killing clones. Barbed wire traps that are occasionally laced with hallucinogens that cause clones to struggle, leading to deep cuts between armor plates and eventually death as the wires slowly cut deeper, leading to blood loss. More on lower levels than upper levels. Normal ones just trap men, they can’t move cause the wire might pierce deeper, which sucks for the ones where the wire gets lucky and goes between plates. 
> 
> (I've planned this Dogma scene since the beginning)

Thorn moved through the familiar halls, purpose in his step and fire in his eyes. It was time to take Coruscant back, hit her with everything she’d taken from him and his vode. It was time to take their lives back.

Fox was already there, in his armor, his bucket clasped tightly in his hands. His tooka counterpart was on his shoulder, fluffy tail lashing nervously. 

There were a few other shock troopers around him, Stone and Thire were talking quietly to him, nodding.

Thorn approached and both troopers straightened. 

“Commander Thorn,” both saluted, Thorn acknowledged and they dropped their hands.

“How's it looking?”

“From what we’ve heard there’s a learning support to give us our territory on Kamino, if not to get rid of us,” Stone whispered bitterly.

“And Vode rights?” Thorn asked.

“Not as good as an outlook, less war affected planets like Coruscant are suggesting probationary rights, but planets like Umbara or Mon Calamari are gunning for stripping rights totally as penance for the war,”

Anger simmering under the surface for all of them, Thorn felt like hitting someone, preferably a Senator...or Wolffe. 

Fox nodded, resigned to their fate, “if we can get Kamino then we get Kamino, one thing at a time.”

“One thing at a time,” Thire agreed.

Fox looked up at the clock, five minutes left, “we go in, we play it to the best of our ability, and whatever the outcome we play our cards close to our chest. The front-liners were right about some things, we are Senate-scum and we better play it to the best of our ability.”

Thorn and the others nodded. They were Coruscants now, it was time to embrace that and use their talents. The four exchanged a look and squared their shoulders, buckets hissing as they were placed over their heads.

The first thing Thorn’s bucket picked up was the slight sound on quick footsteps against marble floor. Heavy, suggesting plastoid armor, and too heavy and clunky to be Guard Troopers, who walked lightly and in cadence at all times with a specific count. They all tensed.

Wolffe and Cody rounded the corner, slightly winded but here none the less. Thorn tensed, ready to have a go, but Fox pressed a hand over his shoulder,

“What are you doing here?” Stone hissed.

“We’re...we’re here for the meeting,”

Their’s pitched laugh through his moderator betrayed the amusement that they were all feeling, and Thorn spoke,

“Yeah, sure, funny joke,”

“We’re serious,” Wolffe said uncomfortably.

“After the shit you pulled last time, I don’t think so,” Thorn snarled.

“I-we’re sorry-”

The comm chimed, time was up. There wasn’t any time to debate, Fox picked it up first, “shut up and so help me if you two say a word out of line I will shoot you, whether my blaster is on stun or kill I don’t give a shit, I will shoot you and shove you down the nearest garbage chute.”

“Okay.” Cody nodded, elbowing Wolffe, who agreed quickly and Fox’s bucket turned to them. The system of communication established through bucket turns and body language at galas, prison detail, senate guard, shook missions, years of experience that culminated to this. Knowledge of each other through quick glances and light touches, a language that only Amur Aliit could read.

They turned at once, perfect formation that had Cody and Wolffe trailing. 

They walked in, Thorn at Fox’s side, Thire at Stone’s, Cody with Wolffe.

Thorn hated it here, whether on Guard Detail, providing testimony, or just observing, looking out for the vode stuck in here. There was too much, glowing lights that he couldn’t help count, dome shape with thousands of different species, shapes, and creeds. It was all a lot to take in everytime, and everytime he walked in he was flooded with sensation and he hated it.

He hated what it represented. Their prison, trapping and suffocating him and his Aliit, until there was nothing left of them.

Fox and himself remained in the middle while Thire and Stone fanned out to their respective sides, Wolffe and Cody hesitantly doing the same.

“Commanders, welcome back to the Senate hall,”

“Thank you for having us back,” Thorn bowed slightly, hating the position, hating it so much.

“Before we tabled the last discussion, we managed to discuss the potential of the Clones taking over the facilities on Kamino,” Chancellor Organa spoke up

_ Clones, because that’s all they were to Natborns. Just a simple Ctrl+C and then a Ctrl+V, easy as rations. _

“Yes sir,” Fox said calmly.

“We have brought that under consideration, and we have decided to honor your request,” 

_ Yes! _

_ They're winning. Suck on that Burtoni _ . Burtoni’s tooka bitch face was amazing and Thorn aimed his HUD at it, wanting it to be played at his funeral.

_ Hells yeah _

Stone leaned into him slightly, the only outward portrayal of his excitement and joy.

Fox was calm while Wolffe and Cody exchanged a look behind them. Thorn rolled his eyes but didn’t do anything, he’ll let them have this. Shaak Ti said he should be nicer, he’s causing some unnecessary stress for everyone and it’s quite rude of him.

Whatever. It’s not like they had caused the Guard much unnecessary and added stress.

Now came the hard part.

“A week ago, we stood in these very halls asking for the right to be treated as sentients, I am unaware if there was any discussion held on this, but I am aware that Commander Fox has worked with several vode from different Companies and compiled a several page document,” Thorn said and Fox nodded.

“Yes, I have read it, it was very informative,” Orn Free Tah purred and leered at Fox. Fox shifted ever-so-slightly. Something only Thorn and the other Guard CC’s saw.  _ Uncomfortable, nervous. Suspicious. _

“Thank you Senator,” Fox dipped his head.

“I too have read it,” the Chancellor spoke up, giving Fox a bittersweet smile, “as was every senator required to make the vote. And as of yesterday, it was decided we would give probationary rights to clones.”

Thorn couldn’t help the disappointment building in his chest. Was it really too much to ask for.

Have they not sacrificed enough.

Burtoni spoke up, “it was decided, through CC-3636’s disrespect and accusations, that it was safer to keep clones on a more rigid watch and make sure there are sanctions in place.” her cruel smile made Thorn want to go over there and wring her neck.

After he killed Wolffe.

“Thank you ma’am, for the consideration, I hope that one day we’ll be granted our full rights as sentients and citizens of Kamino,” Fox’s voice rang across the guard. Honorable and cool in spite of defeat. That was his riduur.

Burtoni’s translucent skin flushed an ugly green-blue. But she was wise enough not to argue.  _ Shame. _

Oh well, better luck next time.

They stood there, unsure of what to say. Wolffe was bathing in shame to his right, Thire and Stone were probably planning his death, Thorn certainly was, maybe Cody too. Fox was probably going to send a very well written letter to the Senators who didn’t vote in their favor.

It was Coruscant, and force be damned they weren’t above a little blackmail to get what they wanted.

It was an awkward few seconds. Before finally the Chancellor nodded and dismissed them.

They fell out, walking quickly out. Fox snapped his arm up and pulled him off to the side. Only stopping when they reached a corridor. 

_ Damn, how did he know? _

“C’mon let me at em.”

“Thorn you’re not punching Wolffe in the face,”

“Come on, why not a little slap?” Thorn whined, trying to slip out of Fox’s iron grip.

“A little slap will end with you probably breaking his jaw,”

Fox rolled his eyes, and Thorn pinched his arm. They both chuckled and made their way to the barracks, Thorn commed their command, informing them to make their way to a conference room.

Eventually, their command staff all made their way there, standing at various degrees of attention and stiffness. Dogma and Hound came in last, both pressed together and looking at Fox curiously.

“We have won territory on Kamino,” Fox announced.

There was a small exchange of credits, Fox sighed at the immaturity of his command, Dogma was doing the same.

Thorn knew that Fox had imprinted on the kid, from the annoyed clench of the jaw and the little eye twitch. Fox had even taken something from Dogma, the slight scrunching of his nose that he hadn’t done before Dogma came to join them on the Guard. 

Thorn sighed and spoke up, “we are all under ‘probationary rights’.”

Uproar. Various troopers were swearing quietly, some loudly. Cardinal looked seconds away from flipping the table. Hound and Talon were pissed off.

“At ease!” Fox shouted and they quieted, still simmering with anger.

“We will accept the results that the Senate has given us, we will work with our constraints as we always have,” Thorn growled and their troopers nodded.

“I heard that this is because of Commander Wolffe’s outburst in the Senate Chambers a week ago!” Bloodhound growled.

Fox’s eyes narrowed and the Corporal ducked down with a small sorry.

“So this is the frontliner’s fault,” Reaper growled.

“That’s enough,” Dogma shouted.

“Of course you would say that!” Iora spat.

“That’s enough,” Cardinal hissed, “it is  _ a  _ frontliner’s fault.”

Fox spoke up, “Wolffe is a moron, he doesn’t know how to function properly in a Senate Chamber, we rushed it, and there is blame to go around.”

Thorn nodded, agreeing to disagree, “we have played nice with no rights, we can play good with probationary rights.”

A thick air of rage and injustice and tension was thick in the room. Fox’s comm chimed and Thorn recognized Bly’s channel number.

_ Bly? Odd but he supposed.  _

He and Fox nodded and fell out, leaving their command to deal with themselves and the fallout.

_ Oh gods Coruscant was going to go up flames. _

They strode down the halls, Thire and Stone were walking together. 

“Bly?”

“Bly,” Fox agreed.

They nodded and maintained a steady and tense pace as they walked to the CC Barracks. Thorn put on his bucket and knocked. 

The looks of surprised as they walked in was borderline hilarious. If not for the direness of their situation made it very not funny. 

“Fox?” Cody practically fell out of his bunk, the other Frontiers looked at them curiously.

_ Bly you sly bastard. _

“I invited them here,” Bly spoke up, jaw tense daring anyone to challenge his decision. No one did.

_ Huh, he expected Neyo to make a challenge. _

“Why?” Bacara asked.  _ Not a challenge, just curious.  _

“We need to deal with our fucking shit,” Bly snapped, “I’m sick of the back and forth the will they won’t they. Gods y’all need to chill out, please.” 

They all looked at each other and then back at the frontliner CC’s.

Bly sighed and spoke again, “someone better start in five minutes before I call General Ti.”

Silence.

Three minutes and forty-two seconds and Cody took a breath.

“Fox…there aren’t words in mando’a or basic that can be described to say how kriffing sorry we are,” Cody finally said, Thorn turned to his riduur, seeing his tense figure, waiting for the unconscious order to attack. There weren't any. Fox wasn’t angry, he never was at anyone, he was amazing like that, but he was weary. Once burned twice shy, they never say what happens when it happens thrice.

Wolffe took this time to speak up as well, “and I-Fox I fucked up. You asked me to do something and I disregarded your wishes, both of yours,” he turned to Thorn, dipping his head.

Thorn was still bristling. Wolffe apologising to him was a bit shocking, and he wasn’t really sure how to deal with it.

They didn’t know if they should revel in their victory or sulk in their loss. 

Fox finally twitched, “I accept your apology, but I cannot find it in me to forgive you at the moment.”

Thorn turned to Fox, surprised.

_ Fox, do something in his own self-interest? Him denying his batchmates, his batchmates who he let walk all over him? Miracles are possible.  _

Thorn paused and spoke again, “the guard has been playing nice with Senators for years, it wasn’t too much to ask that you do the same. We need our own time to adjust and figure out our new constraints.”

Everyone nodded and Thire sighed loudly. 

“However, we need to start preparing for the future, we clones were created for combat, some aren’t ready to leave that behind. I have squad leaders and plenty of other shock troopers who are more than ready to train a squad, as well as younger troopers who are excited to share with their batch and squadmates.” 

The other CC’s nodded and Rex spoke up, “I know Torrent is-”

“No,”

“Absolutely not,”

“How about a no,” 

Rex sighed loudly, shooting them a dirty look.

“Rex, one of your shit starters teamed up with one of Thorn’s shit starters and a lot of property damage was done,”

“Hardcase is-”

Thorn tried to hide his smile, Fox was only pissy because Dogma was salty over the way that the two troopers in question blew shit up to get his attention.

Fox sighed and gestured to Thire,  _ this is your problem _ . 

Thire nodded, and shrugged and turned to Rex, “I’ll get back to you.”

They all stood for another moment and Fox turned to Bly, “We can get back to this later, but I have a multitude of flimsiwork to attend to, as does Thorn and Stone. Thire has to organize the new patrols.” 

Thire gave Fox a slight head tilt and Fox gave a mini-shrug. Thorn snorted and threw a lousy salute at the other commanders, 

“Peace out tubefuckers,” 

Fox gave a loud sigh and just walked out; Thire and Stone followed him.

_

Thorn sighed loudly, he tossed his comm down as Fox continued typing rapidly.

“Who first?”

“Burtoni...duh,” 

“Oh yeah my bad,”

“Fuck off,” 

Their comms chimed with an emergency alert. Both grabbed their comms and saw Hound’s comm number.

“Sergeant?”

“Dogma’s been snared,” Hound’s panicked voice was clear, even the disturbance from the comm. 

Fox immediately put on his bucket, and marched out.

Thorn following him, both had a worried gait.

“What happened!” 

“Dogma...he was touring with some shinies...and a snare...there was a snare that one of the frontliners pulled by mistake and...and Dogma got got,” Hound was in hysterics, “it was one of the laced, most of the guys here are frontliners are panicked and and... _ fuck.” _

“Hound!” Fox shouted as they climbed up, Thorn accessed the tracer and they moved.

“Fuck, femoral artery was nicked, he’s bleeding out,”

“Cauterization?” Thorn asked.

“Can’t, he’s struggling too much and I might burn wire to skin,”

“Fuck...fuck fuck,” Fox muttered as they made a final turn.

The roof came into view, a small crowd of blue and red painted troopers around a slumped form. He recognized Hound’s kama and armor leaning over Dogma’s struggling form, holding him down along with some other Guardsmen. 

Fox landed and rolled, coming to Dogma’s side. Thorn next to him.

The kid’s eyes were wide and pupils blown. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose, his whole body seizing as he wetly coughed more blood. It was a pooling underneath him. Dogma’s hair was matted with blood and his eyes were clouded.

“Shit, Dogma.” Fox said, one hand moving hair out of the kid’s face, Dogma flinched back from the touch, wild fear in his eyes.

“Do you know what it is?”

“Brine or Chola, we don’t know yet,”

“Screecher?”

“On his way,” 

Fox nodded, holding Dogma’s neck still as Thorn took his arms while Hound moved to straddle his legs.

All of them were carefully avoiding the barbed wire that was digging into his skin and Thorn came to a realization.

He looked up at the other troopers who were still. Unusual for torrent, but they were probably taken by shock so Thorn didn’t judge too much, he found what he was looking for, red medic insignia.

He gestured for the medic to come over, and he did, very hesitantly. Dogma was coughing and shaking violently, but even that was tampering off. The kid was dying and Thorn knew that Fox wouldn’t forgive himself if he did.

The medic, Thorn didn’t care to remember his name, stopped and waited, knowing that he was a bit out of his pay grade. 

“Do you know the difference between Brine and Chola?”

“I-kind of,”

“Do you know what they do?”

“Hallucinations and seizures as well,” the medic said.

“Good, help hold him down, do you have anything on you to dilute it?”

“No, I’m sorry,” 

“ _ Osik, _ ” Fox hissed as Dogma started gasping, his body’s desperate seizures turning to little spasms and twitches.

Dogma made eye-contact with Fox, who’s hand was shakily combing through his hair, the other was holding him down.

Dogma’s eyes were closing, as he was blinking sluggishly. Fox’s eyes widened and he lurched forward.

“M’ika, M’ika, I need you to stay awake, kid you you have to stay awake,” Fox begged.

Dogma made a noncommittal noise, coughing wetly. Thorn’s hands were wet, red staining his armor, matching his paint. Gods he didn’t like this.

“M’ika, ad, please,” Fox whimpered, eyes teary and desperate.

Dogma’s body gave one last twitch and he closed his eyes just as plastoid scraped against the roof. 

Thorn turned to see Screecher land and hastily make his way toward them. He shoved a grief-stricken Hound to the side as he took out a syringe and pressed it to Dogma’s neck.

“C’mon kid, you can’t die on me now,” Screecher hissed.

He got on top of him and tried to pull his chest plate from under the barbed, sharpened wire.

Dogma moved ever so slightly while Screecher took a blood sample, handing it to a still stunned Kix.

“We continue with procedure, Thorn, I need you to move Hound and Fox back, you, you and you, get over here,” 

Rex and a goateed trooper-Fives, Thorn remembered his  _ extensive  _ file- as well as a trooper with a Republic cog on his forehead. All three knelt down hesitantly, looking down. Thorn guided Fox and Hound away. 

“Have either of you four cautorized a wound before?” 

Kix and Fives nodded, but the other two didn’t. Screecher sighed dramatically,  _ medic _ .

“We can’t move him or else he’ll bleed out, heat up the poker, he’s gonna scream, he’s gonna cry and he’s gonna struggle. It’s gonna smell awful and you’re gonna want to vomit, you probably are and if you do don’t do it on Dogma please,” 

The four nodded and Thorn held onto both of them tighter he turned to the other troopers, Screecher continued, “move the wire like so and then immediately hold the poker to the skin. Don’t let him move and don’t burn yourself.”

“You with the hair and you with stripes, get over here,” Thorn called.

Both shuffled over and waited, “I need you guys to help me hold them back.”

“He’s, he’s my batcher,” the one with the long hair whispered.

Thorn sighed and scrubbed his hair.  _ Okay, this wasn’t good _ .

“Can you control yourself?”

“Yessir,” the trooper whispered quietly.

“Okay, both take Hound, I have Fox,”

“Okay,” both whispered.

And then it started. Sizzling against skin, burt flesh and then screaming. Plastoid scraped as Dogma’s struggling renewed as he tried to get away from the new source of his pain.

Hound’s desperate expression as he leapt to go help his cyare. The troopers struggled as Hound made a break.

Thorn held Fox against his chest, the trooper gave a whine as his ad was hurt. 

Dogma’s whines tapered and he fell silent again. The men worked efficiently and closed skin, blue paint covered in red.

Screecher sighed and waved the others off, his blood streaking his bucket and arms. Dogma gave a weak whine, and didn’t move further.

“Okay...okay…” Screecher sighed, hands shaking slightly, “I’m going to comm for a stretcher...yeah.” 

They all stood in silent shock, the Guards reeling and the Frontiers in shock. Topknot-Trooper seemed to be throwing up, Fives and another trooper were acting as silent support, and hand rubbing plastoid.

Hardcase, a rather infamous trooper amongst the Guard, was to the side with Hound, the Sergeant was sobbing into the Frontier’s armor. Hardcase’s own eyes had tears streaming down his face. Both seemed to want to approach the body on the floor, but seemed frozen to the ground. 

Thorn finally loosened his grip on Fox, allowing his riduur to slip by and kneel beside Dogma, Thorn winced as his boot was pressed in soaked blood. That would be horrible to deal with later.

Fox gave a light keen, hands shaking as he hovered over his ad. Hesitantly he brushed back his hair. The kid didn’t move, likely too out of it from blood loss and pain.

Eventually, Screecher came back, three other medics in tow. They loaded Dogma up, the trooper whimpered slightly, no doubt still in a daze.

“Fox…” Rex asked when they finally dragged the trooper off, “what the hell was that?”

“Snare...we call them Snares,” Fox scrubbed his hand over his face, Thorn walked up to his side and nudged him to the side slightly. Fox saw his point and stepped back, following Dogma and Screecher.

“What are snares?” Cog-trooper asked.

Thorn sighed, “barbed wire traps, usually used by slavers or whatever sickos live here.” 

Rex looked shocked, “what?”

“They’re occasionally laced with hallucinogens, used to increase struggling so whatever bastard gets caught up in them bleeds out faster.”

Rex shook his head and Thorn felt bad for the guy. Dogma was one of his kih’vode, and even if he’d been claimed Guard, there would always be some Torrent in him. No matter how much Fox claimed him only as Guard. No matter how much Dogma reflected Guard energy, there was always a bit of Frontier in him, and Dogma knew that. 

Cog-Trooper’s hands were shaking, 

_ Jesse _

His name was  _ Jesse _

Dogma had tried to get him and Fives executed on Umbara, he remembered one of the kid’s bad nights without Fox while the other Commander was in Missing Hours and he was leaning on Hound.

Thorn walked over and stood next to Rex and Jesse, “he’s a stubborn kid, he’ll make it through this, I know it.”

He looked and saw that most of the other Coruscant Troopers had left with the stretchers, leaving Thorn here alone.

_ Rude. _

But fair. 

“He...he pushed me out of the way,” Jesse whispered and Thorn looked at him, “we were out on a test patrol and he pushed me out of the way.”

The medic was at his side, pressing a small kiss to the trooper’s cheek, their bloody hands clasped together. 

Hardcase looked shell-shocked.

“What...what exactly does he do?” Denal finally asked.

“Don’t know,” Thorn shrugged, “he works for Fox and Fox only, no one really knows what his team does and those who do will deny it to the end of time.”

“Why?”

“It’s very very illegal,” Thorn cocked his head.

Torrent looked a bit taken aback,  _ Dogma, committing crimes?  _ From what he’s heard about the kid from before it would be hard to believe.

“Let’s head back,” and with a sideways glance at Jesse, “try not to trigger any snares.” 

The trooper flinched but Thorn didn’t care, frontliners were making their lives harder, they deserved a bit of grief because of it.

* * *

Thorn walked next to Fox’s side, looking at the drained Commander. Hound was with Dogma, sleeping next to the bacta tank his cyare was recovering in, Hardcase was too, not at all to their surprise. 

They were both in his office now, blood cleaned from their skin to the best of their ability. Fox was scrutinizing his fingernails as dried blood was chipping and staining the skin around it. 

He pulled Fox’s hands away from his face, pulling his fingers and kissing his fingertips softly.

“It’s okay, it’s going to be okay,”

Fox shook his head, and Thorn moved him to his throat. Fox broke into tears, wrenched sobs soaked the collar of his blacks.

He slowly maneuvered Fox until they were resting in the cot, Thorn was curled around his riduur. Pressing kisses to his nose and jaw as he spooned Fox close to himself. 

“He’ll be alright, he’s your kid, and your influence will keep him going. He’s stubborn,” Thorn promised and Fox stared blankly ahead.

It was time, the incident with the Snare had interrupted their conversation, they needed to make a decision.

Thorn spoke quietly, “we need to discuss this, even with the Snare issue, we need to make our decision as a united front.”

Fox remained quiet and small. When he finally turned to him, his eyes were cold and tired, and he opened his mouth and his voice was quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title- Skyfall by Adele
> 
> I'm back and I have a plan, so here's my update schedule:
> 
> Chapter 8-Love Runs Out
> 
> Fox/Thorn Oneshot
> 
> Chapter 9-Love Runs Out
> 
> Wolffe/Fox Oneshot (cadets)
> 
> Chapter 10-Love Runs Out
> 
> Chapter 12- Adventures of Fox the Tooka
> 
> Neyo Oneshot
> 
> Chapter 13-Adventres of Fox the Tooka
> 
> Wolffe/Comet Oneshot (Blame Parkkrys, it's all her fault).
> 
> Chapter 14|Epilogue- Adventures of Fox the Tooka
> 
> I still plan on doing oneshots, feel free to hmu on tumblr or the comments for anything you'd like to see, bc chances are high that I want to write it.


	12. An intermission but not really

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry

Hey it's Snapp, back at it again with another intermission chapter.

I would be lying if I said that I'm not crying a little while writing this out, but it's been a long time coming.

This isn't an intermission...it's a goodbye...I'm looking at it this series with uncertainty due to several feelings culminated by some tumblr posts alongside my own stupid insecurities, I've decided to discontinue this series.

Honestly the whole concept feels dumb. I know writing should be for the author, but I feel so sick all the time because this whole thing feels stupid and pointless and just...ughh

And I'm so _tired_ of it. I'm tired of feeling shitty. I haven't been feeling anything positive towards this in a long time. The passion is gone, a combination of depression, anxiety and the sheer amount of shit that this fandom throws at each other makes me just...not want to write any of this anymore. 

As of now, I'm going on a permanent hiatus on Fox the Tooka as a whole, and am going to focus on projects that I can find joy in writing. I would like to thank you all for seeing this story as far as it's come, and Fox the Tooka in general. I may be going through old chapters to fix, I may not. I honestly don't know anymore. I'm going to go and axe a few of my projects, I'm not to confident about the continuation of my Hardcase/Dogma fic as well.

I would like to apologize, and thank the people who have been here since the disastrous start of a disastrous fic. I'm sorry for abandoning it out of nowhere along with several others. I'm just sick of it if I'm being honest, this has been a long time coming, probably should have done it when I first went a hiatus and spared the false hope. 

Thank you so much for the support and love you guys who stayed. You guys really made my days at every comment and kudos and I'm so sorry for letting you guys down.

This fic might be updated one day, but most likely will remain dead unless I ever feel emotionally up to it; which, if I'm being honest, probably won't happen. 

The passion is gone, and I don't know how to bring any of it back for this fic. Part of me will always love it, it was my first baby and I used to think it was fabulous and the best I ever could have done. But now, that I've grown as not only a reader and a writer, and I cannot continue this fic without building back my confidence in writing.

I'll continue writing for ABO, as it's such a niche community I won't feel as threatened or nervous. And you'll still definitely see me working on The Devil is Not as Black Painted that I co-authored with ZoinksSc00b. I would 10/10 recommend reading her writing because no matter if it's cracky, serious, a multi-chapter or oneshots, it's always brilliant and amazing and fabulously written and wonderful to go back to. 

On the note of amazing authors I would recommend checking out this ship from, here's a few that you guys can check out:

And Jaybird1129 has recently written an amazing AU with a similar concept but actually good in practice, I would definitely recommend it called, "Hi, Thank You for Calling the Coruscant Guard, How Can I Help You Today?" It's an amazing read and wonderfully written. 

Parkkrys is also very into the ship, and she also writes some amazing content on the pair and it's very enjoyable to read if any of you want to. They play a background ship in her "You're Something Else" series, which is another good read. 

The_Dark_Is_Afraid_Of_Me is also has some fun content for the ship, and I do believe that she is planning on writing some for the pair. 

Some tumblrs that I know who do prompts:

Parkkrys

Mockingjay34

Firewoodwander

Clonecest_Bin_Account

Blazesurrender

They're all amazing writers and are very passionate and wonderful people and will do the ship more justice on 500+ words than I ever could.

Well, this is goodbye to this fic, it was truly an amazing learning experience, in the good, the bad, and everything else. And I hope that you guys won't hold it against me. I might be able to find it in myself to talk about what the ending I had planned was, and maybe one day I might write it out. If I do, it'll be on my tumblr and I'll link it on here. 

Thank you all so much for the support again, and I love you all for being a part of this journey with me. 

🧡 Snapperoni Pepperoni 


End file.
